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MULTUM    IN   PARVO. 


JHIV1ES     BHXCHEUDER. 


MULTUM    IN    PARVO. 


NOTES    FROM    THE 


LIFE  AND  TRAVELS 


-OF- 


JAMES    BATCHELDER, 

A  Retired  Locomotive  Engineer. 


By    JAMES    BATCHELDER. 


SAN   FRANCISCO  : 

PACIFIC    PRESS    PUBLISHING    CO. 
1892. 


PREFACE. 


'HE  object  of  this  work  is  to  give 
my  friends  a  slight  knowledge  of 
the  places  I  visited  during  my  trav 
els  in  different  parts  of  the  world. 
To  give  a  full  description  of  every 
place  would  make  too  large  a  book, 
so  I  shall  confine  myself  to  de 
scribing  some  of  the  most  important  sights  to  be 
seen  along  the  various  routes  taken. 

My  first  trip  of  any  great  note  after  starting  on 
my  travels  was  to  Alaska,  in  1882.  The  next 
was  a  trip  around  the  world,  in  1883.  During  the 
year  of  1884  I  made  five  separate  and  distinct 
trips  in  the  United  States,  Canada,  and  Mexico, 


100144 


VI  PREFACE. 

and  have  recorded  them  as  such  in  this  work.  I 
spent  the  year  of  1885  in  different  towns  in  Cali 
fornia,  and  have  also  spoken  of  them  in  these 
pages.  In  1886  I  took  a  trip  to  the  Yellowstone 
National  Park.  During  1887  I  traveled  in  South 
ern  California,  and  in  1888  I  visited  South  and 
Central  America.  I  made  no  journey  of  any  im 
portance  during  1889,  but  in  1890  I  made  a  sec 
ond  voyage  around  the  world. 

All  of  these  trips  were  accomplished  with  a 
great  deal  of  pleasure  to  myself,  and  I  have  put 
them  in  writing,  with  no  attempt  at  literary  style, 
but  in  a  straightforward  and  sincere  manner, 
without  any  intention  of  having  it  published  for 
sale  or  for  circulation  to  any  extent — merely  for 
the  gratification  of  myself  and  a  few  of  my  most 
intimate  friends  and  relatives. 

I  need  scarcely  say  that,  for  me,  it  brings 
back  incidents  of  foreign  travel,  recalls  the  place 
and  circumstances,  and  opens  long  vistas  of  de 
li  ghtful  memories. 

It  may  not  be  out  of  place  to  state  to  others 
who  may  chance  to  read  this  that  my  life,  from 


I 'UK  FACE. 


VI 1 


boyhood  up  to  the  time  I  commenced  my  travels, 
was  spent  at  hard  labor.  I  have  had  no  advan 
tages  in  the  art  of  wielding  words  and  phrases,  so 
must  give  as  my  excuse  for  errors  that  may  occur, 
my  lack  of  experience  in  literary  composition, 
and  hope  due  allowance  will  be  made  for  them 


L 

CONTENTS. 


CHAP.  PAGE. 

I.     MY  TRIP  TO  ALASKA 19 

II.       MY  TRIP  AROUND  THE  WORLD 28 

III.  CONTINUATION  OF  A  TRIP  AROUND  THE  WORLD    .  56 

IV.  CONCLUSION  OF  A  TRIP  AROUND  THE  WORLD  .      .  87 
V.     A  TRIP  ACROSS  THE  CONTINENT  FROM  CALIFOR 
NIA  TO  MASSACHUSETTS 115 

VI.     A  TRIP  TO  MAINE  AND  NEW  HAMPSHIRE       .      .  127 
VII.     A  TRIP  TO  THE  NORTHERN  PART  OF  NEW  HAMP 
SHIRE      135 

VIII.     A  TRIP  TO  CANADA  AND  THE  LAKES  ....  139 
IX.     A  TRIP   THROUGH  THE   SOUTHERN   STATES  AND 

MEXICO 145 

X.     SHORT  TRIPS  IN  CALIFORNIA 156 

XI.     A  TRIP  TO  YELLOWSTONE  NATIONAL  PARK     .      .  160 

XII.     A  TRIP  TO  SOUTHERN  CALIFORNIA      ....  185 

XIII.  A  TRIP  TO  SOUTH  AMERICA 205 

XIV.  A  SECOND  TRIP  AROUND  THE  WORLD        .      .      .  243 
XV.     CONTINUATION   OF   SECOND   TRIP    AROUND    THE 

WORLD 274 

XVI.     CONCLUSION  OF  SECOND  TRIP  AROUND  THE  WORLD  306 


INTRODUCTION. 


NOTES  FROM  THE  LIFE  OF  THE  AUTHOR. 

WAS  born  November  6, 1828,  in  the  town  of 
Warren,  Graftoii  County,  New  Hampshire. 
My  parents,  like  most  good,  honest  New 
England  country  people,  were  not  overburdened 
with  "this  world's  possessions;  but  by  bard  work, 
they  managed  to  get  a  good  living  from  the  prod 
ucts  of  a  farm,  situated  about  two  miles  from 
the  village  school,  where  I  received  as  much  edu 
cation  as  I  was  capable  of  taking  until  I  was  ten 
years  old. 

About  that  time  my  father  was  instantly  killed 
by  the  falling  of  the  limb  of  a  tree  which  be 
was  cutting,  it  having  struck  him  on  the  head. 
This  was  very  hard  for  my  mother,  as  she  had  a 
large  family  of  children,  consisting  of  six  boys 
and  two  girls.  Fortunately,  two  of  the  boys  were 
nearly  young  men  and  able  to  take  care  of  the 
farm. 


Xll  INTRODUCTION. 

As  the  care  of  the  family  devolved  upon  them, 
I  came  to  the  conclusion  that  I  would  find  some 
place  where  I  could  take  care  of  myself.  So,  at 
the  early  age  of  ten  years,  I  commenced  the  bat 
tles  of  life,  and  have  been  as  prosperous  ever  since 
as  anyone  could  expect  to  be  under  the  circum 
stances.  Thanks  to  kind  Providence. 

On  leaving  home  the  extent  of  my  baggage 
was  a  few  changes  of  linen  tied  up  in  a  handker 
chief,  which  I  carried  under  my  arm.  This  bun 
dle,  together  with  the  suit  of  homespun  I  had  on, 
comprised  the  full  extent  of  my  worldly  goods. 

My  mother  accompanied  me  about  a  mile  on 
my  way,  giving  me  good  advice  the  while.  Then, 
with  tears  in  her  eyes,  she  gave  me  a  kiss  and 
her  parting  blessing,  leaving  me  with  the  in 
junction  that  I  must  be  a  good  boy  and  come  to 
see  her  as  often  as  I  could. 

I  have  faithfully  tried  to  follow  her  good  ad 
vice  by  living  an  honest,  upright  life,  and  have 
often  held  out  a  helping  hand  to  those  who  found 
themselves  unequal  to  the  struggle  on  life's  jour 
ney.  By  hard  work  and  prudence,  I  have  accu 
mulated  a  competence  that  has  enabled  me  to  in 
dulge  in  my  life's  dream  of  traveling. 

Many  years  have  passed  since  then,  and  I  am 
an  old  man  now;  but  that  parting  scene  is  as 
fresh  in  my  memory  as  though  it  were  but  yester 
day;  and  should  I  live  a  thousand  years,  I  will 
always  remember  it.  Poor  woman!  She  never 


INTRODUCTION. 

had  any  too  much  of  this  world's  goods,  but  I 
hope  she  is  happy  now  and  receiving  her  reward 
for  the  trials  and  troubles  she  had  to  endure 
while  battling  witli  the  cares  of  this  life.  She 
died  about  twenty  years  ago. 

After  taking  my  leave  of  her  I  dried  my  eyes, 
and,  with  a  sad  heart,  I  walked  on  till  I  reached 
the  town  of  Wentworth,  where  I  found  a  home 
with  a  family  named  Keyser,  my  wages    being 
my  board  and  clothing  with  three  months'  school 
ing  each  winter.     The  rest  of  the  year  I  had  to 
work  hard,  so  I  had  no  time  to  keep  up  my  studies, 
and   what    little   I   learned  in   one   winter   was 
nearly  forgotten  before  the  next  school  term  be 
gan.     This  was  the   only  chance   I   had  in  my 
youth  to  get  an  education.     It  is  far  different  with 
young  boys  nowadays.     I  stayed  at  Wentworth 
about  five   years,  and   then  my  desire   to  travel 
and   see   some  of  the  world   began.     I  took  my 
first  pleasure  trip  at  this  time,  and,  although  a 
short   one,  it  was   none   the   less   interesting.     I 
started   on  foot   to  visit  an  uncle  of  mine,  who 
lived  -in  Burlington,  Vermont,  about  one  hundred 
miles  away.     I  would  walk  each  day  as  far  as  I 
could,  and  when  night  came  I  would  stop  at  some 
farmhouse,  and  ask  to  be  kept  overnight,  which 
request   was   never   refused.     After  staying  with 
my  uncle   about  three  weeks,  I  returned  in  the 
same  way  to  Wentworth,  where  I  found  a  posi 
tion  in  a  hotel,  which  I  held  for  two  years. 


XIV  INTRODUCTION. 

I  then  tried  several  occupations,  such  as  driving 
team,  working  at  stone  work,  and  learning  the 
blacksmith  trade.  But  I  was  not  satisfied  with 
any  of  this  work,  and  after  a  short  time  found  a 
position  as  fireman  on  a  locomotive  on  the  New 
Hampshire  Northern  Railway.  This  was  in  1848, 
when  I  was  twenty  years  old.  I  served  as  fireman 
two  years,  during  which  time  I  was  badly  hurt  in  a 
collision  of  two  trains  near  Grafton  Center,  which 
came  very  nearly  making  a  cripple  of  me  for  life; 
but,  fortunately,  I  recovered  entirely  from  the  ef 
fects  of  it,  and  will  state  here  that,  during  my 
thirty-five  years  on  a  locomotive,  I  have  never 
lost  any  time  on  account  of  sickness,  nor  have 
I  received  any  other  than  the  above-mentioned 
injury  on  a  railway.  And  I  was  never  discharged 
from  any  position  I  ever  held,  either  on  a  railroad 
or  elsewhere.  At  the  end  of  two  years  as  fireman, 
I  was  promoted  to  the  position  of  engineer,  in 
which  capacity  I  served  three  years  on  that  road. 

I  then  went  to  Illinois,  where  I  found  employ 
ment  on  the  Burlington  and  Quincy  Railroad, 
running  the  mail  train  from  Chicago  to  Mendota, 
and  from  Aurora  to  Galesburg.  In  1858,  after  a 
stay  of  five  years  on  that  road,  on  account  of  the 
long,  cold,  snowy  winters,  together  with  my  rov 
ing  disposition,  I  left  there  and  came  to  California 
with  the  intention  of  engaging  in  mining,  but 
not  finding  it  a  paying  business  after  trying  it  a 
short  time,  I  started  out  to  find  some  other  em- 


INTRODUCTION.  XV 

ployment.  Leaving  the  mines,  I  went  to  Sacra 
mento  ;  not  finding  anything  there  to  engage  in, 
I  went  to  Napa  City,  where  I  found  a  man  who 
wanted  an  engineer  to  run  an  engine  in  a  sawmill 
in  the  redwoods  some  five  miles  from  Napa.  He 
said  he  had  been  imposed  upon  by  men  who 
called  themselves  engineers,  but  whom  he  found, 
after  trying,  were  not  what  they  represented 
themselves  to  be.  He  engaged  me  at  $75  per 
month  and  board.  I  found  the  engine  in  a  bad 
condition,  but  soon  put  it  in  working  order,  and 
remained  there  ten  months,  then  went  to  San 
Francisco,  where  I  found  a  position  as  engineer  on 
a  sand  train — taking  the  sand  from  a  large  hill 
on  Market  Street  between  Third  and  Fourth  to 
fill  in  the  low  land  at  the  foot  of  Market  Street. 
After  the  sand  hill  was  removed,  a  passenger 
train  was  run  to  the  old  Mission  Dolores,  and  I 
was  in  charge  of  the  first  engine  on  that  road, 
and  held  the  position  until  1863,  when  a  local 
railroad  was  built  in  Oakland  connecting  with 
steamers  at  the  end  of  a  long  wharf  for  San 
Francisco.  I  was  the  first  engineer  engaged  on 
this  road,  and  served  until  1883,  making  twenty 
years  of  steady  employment.  During  these 
twenty  years  I  took  several  trips  to  different  parts 
of  California,  taking  in  Los  Angeles,  Riverside, 
San  Bernardino,  Santa  Monica,  Pasadena,  Yosem- 
ite  Vallgy,  the  Geysers,  and  Lake  Tahoe.  I  also 
visited  certain  places  in  Nevada. 


XVI  INTRODUCTION. 

I  met  with  an  accident  while  out  driving,  which 
came  very  nearly  heing  a  serious  one.  The  horse 
got  frightened  by  a  threshing  machine,  and  gave 
a  leap  into  a  ditch  which  we  were  passing,  upset 
ting  the  carriage  and  breaking  my  collar  bone. 
My  young  lady  companion  and  the  horse  fortu 
nately  escaped  uninjured.  The  affair  caused  con 
siderable  merriment  among  my  intimate  friends, 
who  frequently  made  the  remark  that  I  could 
run  a  locomotive  but  could  not  run  a  mustang. 

During  the  last  year  of  my  service  on  this  road, 
I  took  a  trip  to  Alaska  on  the  steamship  Decota. 
This  was  an  excursion  of  about  one  hundred 
tourists.  The  trip  (of  which  I  will  give  a  full 
description  later  on)  was  greatly  enjoyed  by  all. 
Soon  after  this  I  left  the  employ  of  the  railroad 
company,  having  by  prudence  and  industry  ac 
quired  a  sufficient  amount  of  capital  to  enable 
me  to  gratify  my  lifelong  desire  to  travel.  I  will 
try  to  give  my  friends  a  faint  description  of  places 
I  have  already  visited,  hoping  that  some  day 
they  will  have  the  opportunity  of  taking  the 
same  trips  themselves. 

From  the  time  I  came  to  California,  in  1858,  I 
had  never  seen  any  of  my  relatives  until  my  re 
turn  there  in  1883,  while  on  my  tour  around  the 
world,  making  a  separation  of  twenty-five  years. 
Upon  my  arrival  at  the  town  where  I  was  born 
and  spent  my  boyhood's  days,  I  started  to  walk 
to  my  old  home,  where  my  brother  stiH  resides. 


INTRODUCTION.  XV11 

As  I  walked  through  the  village,  I  felt  very  sad. 
My  mother  had  died  since  I  had  left  there,  and 
no  one  remembered  me.  I  saw  not  one  in  the 
place  whom  I  looked  upon  as  a  friend,  but  the 
place  had  not  changed  much,  as  nearly  as  I  could 
remember.  People  sat  upon  their  porches  the 
same  as  of  yore;  the  same  flowers  seemed  to 
bloom  in  the  gardens;  the  same  loungers  to 
stand  about  the  tavern  door;  the  same  young 
men  and  girls  to  hang  on  the  garden  gates.  I 
could  scarcely  realize  that  some  of  them  might 
be  sons  and  daughters  of  those  I  had  known 
twenty-five  years  before.  There  stood  the  old 
church  that  I  used  to  attend  when  a  boy.  Well 
do  I  remember  the  funeral  services  of  my  father 
being  held  there  some  forty-five  years  ago.  It 
seems  to  have  undergone  but  little  change  since 
then.  The  same  churchyard  has  been  receiving 
constant  additions,  some  whom  I  had  known  in 
my  boyhood  having  been  laid  away  in  that  final 
resting  place.  My  father  and  sister  were  laid 
there  many  long  years  ago.  On  arriving  at  the 
old  farm,  there  stood  the  same  old  house  and 
barn,  the  same  old  orchard,  on  which  the  hand 
of  time  had  left  its  mark;  and  the  same  brook 
went  rippling  by  over  its  pebbly  bed,  with  its 
large  rocks  here  and  there  that  I  used  to  play 
upon  when  a  boy.  As  I  gazed  upon  all  these 
familiar  scenes,  I  could  almost  fancy  myself  a 
boy  again.  But  the  people!  Alas,  what  a  change 
2 


XVI II  INTRODUCTION. 

I  found  in  them!  My  brother  had  grown  old,  and 
looked  feeble  and  careworn,  and  soon  will  have  to 
take  his  place  with  those  who  have  gone  before. 
His  children  had  grown  to  be  young  men  and 
women,  some  of  whom  were  unborn  when  last  I 
saw  him.  As  I  stood  looking  at  them,  and  the 
changes  they  had  undergone,  I  was  made  to  real 
ize  that  I,  too,  have  turned  the  bend,  and  am  on 
the  road  to  that  final  home  to  which  we  all  must 
go  sooner  or  later. 

"  For  with  equal  pace 

Impartial  fate 
Knocks  both  at  the  palace 
And  the  garden  gate." 

In  conclusion  I  will  state  that  I  have  never 
married,  and  have  never  had  a  home  that  I  could 
call  my  own  since  I  left  my  boyhood's  home. 
Nor  have  I  since  known  much  about  the  comforts 
of  a  home  or  the  influence  of  a  woman's  loving 
heart  or  guiding  hand.  But  I  can  often  bring  to 
mind  some  act  of  kindness  or  something  that  was 
said  to  cheer  me,  or  some  slight  or  coldness  by 
some  who  were  too  thoughtless  to  remember  that 
they  had  ever  been  children.  And  should  I  live 
a  thousand  years,  any  slight  or  kindness  that  has 
ever  been  shown  me  by  those  with  whom  it  was 
my  lot  to  associate,  will  never  be  forgotten. 


e 


CHAPTER  I. 


MY  TRIP  TO  ALASKA. 

LIvFT     San     Francisco 
toward  the  last  of  July, 
1882,  arriving  at  Victo 
ria,     British     Columbia, 
after  traveling  two  days 
and    a    half  by    steamer 
along  the  coast  of  California  and 
Oregon. 

Victoria,  is  a  city  of  about 
thirty  thousand  inhabitants,  and 
is  located  on  Vancouver  Island. 
It  is  a  sleepy  place,  and  thor 
oughly  English,  but  picturesque  in  every  detail, 
having  a  commanding  view  of  the  Straits  of  Fuca 
and  the  far-away  heights  of  British  Columbia,  also 
of  the  snowy  mountain  peaks  of  Washington. 

Alaska  is  quite  an  unknown  country  to  a  great 
many.     It  has   been   under   the   control   of  the 

(19) 


20  LIFK    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

American  Government  since  18lV7.  Its  scenery 
rivals  in  grandeur  and  beauty  that  of  Switzerland, 
Norway,  and  Sweden;  but  how  few  are  aware  of 
it.  It  has  the  largest  glaciers  in  the  world.  The 
territory  of  Alaska  was  purchased  from  Russia  in 
1807  for  $7,200,000,  and  has  an  area  of  five  hun 
dred  and  eighty  thousand  one  hundred  and 
seven  square  miles.  It  is  equal  in  size  to  all  of  the 
Tinted  States  east  of  the  Mississippi  River,  and 
north  of  Alabama,  Georgia,  and  North  Carolina. 
Its  coast,  including  the  islands  if  taken  in  a 
straight  line,  would  belt  the  globe. 

On  leaving  Victoria  we  went  to  Nanaimo,  and 
then  to  Departure  Bay,  some  three  miles  from  the 
latter  place,  where  we  spent  three  days  coaling 
up  the  ship.  This  gave  us  an  opportunity  to 
visit  the  coal  mines  located  about  five  miles  in 
land.  They  are  very  extensive,  and  the  coal  is  of 
a  fine  quality.  A  narrow-gauge  railway  connects 
the  mine  with  Nanaimo.  While  there  we  enjoyed 
an  old-fashioned  "down  East"  clam  bake.  The 
captain  hired  Indians  to  get  the  clams  for  us,  and 
bread,  pies,  cake,  and  wine  were  provided  from 
the  ship.  We  also  got  up  a  fishing  party  one 
afternoon,  and  went  out  in  small  boats;  but  as 
the  fish  would  not  bite,  we  exploded  dynamite 
cartridges  in  the  water,  which  stunned  them  and 
brought  them  to  the  surface  in  good  quantities. 

In  the  evening  we  had  a  dance  in  the  Nanaimo 
hall,  and  returned  to  the  ship  in  the  wee  small 


JAMKS    BATCHKLDKIJ.  21 

hours  of  the  morning.  The  music  was  furnished 
by  the  military  band  of  Fort  Vancouver,  which 
accompanied  us  on  our  trip.  Our  coming  in  and 
going  out  of  ports  were  signaled  by  the  playing 
of  the  band.  They  also  favored  us  with  fine 
music  after  each  meal,  and  played  dance  music 
each  evening  in  the  cabin  for  the  guests,  which 
added  greatly  to  the  enjoyment  of  the  trip.  On 
leaving  Nanaimo,  a  party  of  ladies  and  gentlemen, 
accompanied  by  a  brass  band,  came  in  small  boats 
drawn  by  a  steam  launch,  and  sailed  around  our 
steamer  several  times,  their  band  serenading  us 
the  while,  which  was  answered  by  our  band  in 
return.  After  our  steamer  got  under  full  heading, 
leaving  some  distance  between  us  and  our  sere- 
naders,  our  captain  fired  a  parting  salute  from  the 
cannon  on  the  steamer,  and  much  merriment  was 
caused  when  one  of  the  other  party  answered  it 
by  firing  off'  a  pistol. 

Our  next  stopping  place  was  Fort  Wrangle. 
This  was  a  large  mining  camp  a  few  years  ago. 
The  mines  wrere  located  on  the  Steikeen  River, 
but  they  have  been  nearly  worked  out,  so  that 
now  the  place  is  quite  dull.  On  our  way  here  we 
passed  through  the  straits  known  as  the  Seymore 
Narrows,  where  the  width  is  half  a  mile,  the 
depth  seventy  fathoms,  and  the  current  runs  at 
the  rate  of  nine  miles  an  hour.  It  is  as  danger 
ous  as  the  St.  Lawrence  Rapids,  it  being  full  of 
hidden  rocks.  A  United  States  man  of  war  was 


22  LIFK    AND    TRAVKLS    OF 


lost  here  some  time  ago.  At  Wrangle  the  Indi 
ans  have  standing  beside  their  best-built  houses 
tall  spires  of  native  wood  on  which  are  rudely 
carved  the  heads  and  animals  that  form  the 
family  crest  of  the  inmates  of  the  house.  They 
are  called  totem  poles.  The  Alaskan  Indian  is 
very  fond  of  his  totem  pole,  as  it  forms  his  crest 
and  his  history  both  in  one. 

From  here  we  went  to  Holcomb  Bay  for  the  pur 
pose  of  seeing  a  glacier.  We  cast  anchor  at  eight 
o'clock  A.  M.  and  went  ashore  in  small  boats,  pro 
curing  the  services  of  an  Indian  to  act  as  our  pilot. 
The  glacier  seemed  to  be  but  a  short  distance  off, 
and  the  Indian  said  it  was  very  easily  reached, 
but  we  found  to  our  sorrow  that  it  was  not  so  near 
nor  so  easy  to  reach  as  we  expected.  We  had  to 
beat  our  way  through  the  underbrush  up  and 
down  steep  hills  for  about  three  miles  without  the 
least  sign  of  a  trail,  sometimes  having  to  crawl  on 
our  hands  and  knees.  Our  guide  said  we  were 
the  first  white  people  who  had  ever  reached  that 
glacier.  The  trip  was  accomplished  after  a  good 
deal  of  perseverance  and  hardship,  but  the  scen 
ery  was  so  grand  when  we  arrived  there  that 
we  felt  ourselves  amply  repaid  for  our  trouble. 
The  glacier  was  one  thousand  feet  high,  lying  in 
a  deep  gorge  between  two  high  mountains.  It 
is  said  to  be  moving  down,  but  so  slowly  that  it 
is  not  perceptible  to  the  eye.  While  climbing 
about  over  this  glacier,  we  saw  large  cracks  in  the 


JAMES   BATCHBLDEB. 


ice  several  hundred  feet  in  depth  and  three   or 
four  wide.     Should  anyone  slip  and  fall  into  any 
of  these  cracks,  his  body  could  never  he  found. 
When  we  left  the  ship  in  the  morning,  we  ex 
pected  to  return  at  noon,  hut  failed  to  do  so  till 
six  p.  M.  that  evening.     The  next  morning  we  ar 
rived  at  Juneau.     This  is  quite  a  lively  mining 
place.    During  the  summer,  business  is  quite  brisk, 
but  the  winters  are  long  and  very  cold,  so  that 
mines  cannot  be  worked  more  than  four  months  in 
the  year.     I  do  not  think  they  are  rich  enough  to 
pay  much  at  that  rate,  and  the  chances  are  they 
will  have  to  be  abandoned  unless  some  richer  dig 
gings  are  found.    While  at  Juneau,  Captain  Carrol, 
commander  of  our  ship,  made  arrangements  with 
several  boat  crews  of  Indians  to  row  their  canoes 
around  a  small  island  about  a  mile  distant,  for  a 
purse  of  $20  to  the  crew  which  made  the  quickest 
time.     There  were  fifteen  canoes,  with  twelve  men 
in    each,  to    compete   for  the  prize.     They  used 
short  side  paddles,  or  oars,  and  all  kept  time  in 
making  their  strokes.     This  was  as   fine  a  boat 
race  as  one  could  wish  to  see,  and  I  think  we  all 
enjoyed  it  to  its  fullest  extent. 

After  leaving  here  we  went  into  the  Tackou  In 
let,  where  we  started  out  with  the  intention  of  vis 
iting  one  of  the  finest  glaciers  in  the  world,  but  had 
to  give  it  up  on  account  of  so  many  floating  ice 
bergs.  We  were  afraid  of  heing  caught  between 
them  and  crushed  to  death,  so  we  took  another 


24  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

direction,  and  went  to  see  one  less  beautiful  and 
grand. 

The  next  stop  we  made  was  at  Chilkat,  after 
making   an  interesting   run  of  twelve  hours  up 
Lynn  Canal  to  Pyramid  Harbor,  the  head-waters 
of  inland  navigation,  and  lying  nearly  sixty  de 
grees   north    latitude.     Chilkat  River  flows  into 
Pyramid    Harbor,  up  which    canoes  can  run    to 
Chilkat  village,  one  of  the  largest  Indian  settle 
ments  in  Alaska.     Lynn  Canal  is  a  narrow  strip 
of  water  with  the   high  mountain   peaks  of  the 
Chilkat  Range  on  one  side  and  the  White  Moun 
tains  of  Alaska  on   the   other.     On   arriving  at 
Pyramid  Harbor  we  found  a  small  Indian  village 
and  a  few  white  traders.     The  traders  had  two  In 
dian  women  who  had  been  condemned  by  their 
tribe  to  be  burned  at  the  stakes,  as  they  were  sup 
posed  to  be  witches.     They  had  been  hidden  away 
by  the  traders  until  we  arrived,  when  they  were 
taken  on  board  our  ship  and  carried  to  Sitka,  where 
they  were  safe  from    their   persecutors.     It   is  a 
common  practice  among  the  Indians,  when  any 
one  of  their  number  is  sick,  for  the  medicine  man, 
when  he  fails  to  effect  a  cure,  to  accuse  someone 
of  having  bewitched  the  sick  person.     The  party 
thus  accused  is  taken  by  their  tribe  and  burned  at 
the  stakes.     In  the  case  referred  to,  had  our  ar 
rival  been  delayed  a  few  days  longer,  the  traders 
would  have  been  compelled  to  give  the  squaws  up, 
in  order  to  save  their  own  lives,  as  they  were  threat 
ened  with  death  unless  they  gave  them  up. 


.JAMES    BATCHELDER.  25 

Sitka,  located  on  Paranoff  Island,  has  a  fine  har 
bor,  which  is  formed  by  two  long  arms  of  the  is 
land.  Sitka  Bay  is  full  of  islands  of  various 
sizes,  and  is  one  of  the  finest  bays  in  the  world. 
Sitka  is  not  now  what  it  was  when  peopled  by  the 
Russians.  There  was  a  great  deal  of  gayety  here 
then,  but  since  they  have  gone,  its  glory,  too,  has 
flown.  There  is  not  much  of  interest  to  be  seen 
here  after  one  has  seen  the  interior  of  the  Greek 
Church,  with  its  old  gold  gilt  paintings  and  rich 
ornaments,  also  the  castle  on  the  hill  near  the 
wharf,  which  is  a  crumbling  ruin  now.  But,  in 
its  day,  the  house  was  gorgeously  furnished,  and 
was  the  residence  of  the  Russian  governor,  whose 
commands  were  obeyed  by  all.  At  that  time  Sitka 
had  quite  a  population,  but  most  all  of  the  peo 
ple  have  gone;  the  houses  are  vacant  and  going 
to  ruin,  and  had  they  tongues  would  say,  "My 
day  is  done;  my  glory  has  departed." 

On  leaving  here  we  went  back  to  Victoria,  stop 
ping  at  Hootsnoo  and  Metacatta,  two  small  Indian 
villages.  At  the  latter  place  they  have  a  large 
cannery,  where  Indians,  who  are  kept  under  the 
care  of  white  traders,  put  up  large  quantities  of 
fish.  The  Indians  go  to  school,  speak  good  En 
glish,  and  work  at  different  trades,  such  as  black- 
smithing,  tinsmithing,  etc.  They  are  also  taught 
music,  and  play  a  brass  band  quite  well. 

From  Victoria  we  went  to  Port  Townsend,  in 
Washington  Territory,  which  is  the  port  of  entry 
for  all  shipping  in  these  waters. 


MFK    AND    TKAVKLS    OF 


Our  next  place  was  Seattle,  a  growing  business 
place,  and  the  largest  town  in  the  territory. 

We  next  went  to  Taeoma,  where  we  left  the 
ship,  the  steamship  company  being  kind  enough 
to  make  our  tickets  transferable  via  Portland  to 
San  Francisco,  giving  us  an  opportunity  to  see 
something  of  Oregon,  which  privilege  we  were 
glad  to  get.  Portland  is  a  fine  city  situated  on  the 
left  bank  of  the  Willamette  River,  twelve  miles 
above  where  that  stream  empties  into  the  Colum 
bia.  It  is  built  on  the  slope  of  a  hill,  whose  top 
is  still  covered  with  pines  and  fir  trees.  On  clear 
days  the  city  enjoys  a  magnificent  view.  Far 
away  towards  the  east  rest  three  snowcapped 
mountains,  Mt.  Hood  looming  above  the  rest. 
During  our  stay  at  Portland  we  took  a  trip  up  the 
Columbia  River  to  The  Dalles,  making  a  short  stop 
at  Fort  Vancouver.  Here  we  were  met  by  a  lieu 
tenant,  whose  name  I  cannot  now  recall,  but  who 
had  been  a  fellow  passenger  on  our  trip  to  Alaska- 
He  took  us  for  a  drive  around  the  military  post. 
The  fort  occupies  a  lovely  little  spot,  and  reflects 
great  credit  on  General  Miles,  its  present  com 
mander. 

The  scenery  along  the  river  to  The  Dalles  is  very 
grand  and  picturesque,  and  resembles  somewhat 
that  of  the  Rhine,  only  this  is  barren  rock  with 
but  little  vegetation,  while  the  Rhine  is  inter 
spersed  with  castles,  vineyards,  and  crumbling- 
ruins.  On  returning  to  Portland  we-  took  a  trip 


JAMES   BATCHELDER.  &4 

to  Salem.  This  city  is  thecapital  of  Oregon,  and 
is  situated  in  the  Willamette  Valley,  about  fifty 
miles  from  Portland.  It  is  a  manufacturing  town 
of  considerable  importance.  The  capitol,  which 
was  begun  in  1873,  when  completed  will  be  an 
imposing  structure.  The  penitentiary,  also  sev 
eral  institutions  of  learning,  are  located  in  Salem. 
Among  the  most  important  are  the  Willamette 
University,  an  institution  of  long  standing,  the 
school  for  the  deaf,  dumb,  and  blind,  and  an  In 
dian  training  school  maintained  by  the  national 
government.  From  there  I  returned  to  Portland, 
where  I  took  the  steamer  for  San  Francisco,  arriv 
ing  there  after  having  traveled  about  four  thou 
sand  miles,  most  of  the  time  on  inland  waters,  and 
I  consider  myself  well  repaid  for  the  time  and 
money  spent,  as  it  was  one  of  the  most  enjoy 
able  trips  I  have  ever  taken. 


CHAPTER    II 

MY    TRIP    AROUND    THE    WORLD. 


STARTED  on  a  trip  around  the  world 
about  the  middle  of  January,  1883,  leav 
ing  San  Francisco  for  Japan,  and  arriving 
at  Yokohama  after  a  voyage  of  nineteen  days, 
during  which  time  we  encountered  a  number  of 
squalls,  which  caused  some  of  the  passengers  to 
arrange  for  the  disposal  of  their  worldly  goods. 
But  nothing  serious  happened. 

Japan  is  a  beautiful  country.  It  consists  of 
four  large  islands,  which  may  be  regarded  as 
Japan  proper,  and  of  many  small  ones,  some  lying 
near  the  shore,  and  others  lying  far  out  in  the  sea. 
The  native  name  of  the  whole  country  is  Nippon. 
Japan  is  bounded  on  the  east  and  south  sides  by 
the  Pacific  Ocean,  while  on  the  west  and  north 
are  the  Yellow,  Japan,  and  Okhotsk  Seas.  Its 
mainland  is  within  about  one  hundred  miles  of 
(28) 


.IAMKS  BATCH  ELDER. 

the  great  continent  of  Asia.  Taking  the  four 
great  islands  as  one,  the  length  of  the  country, 
measured  north  and  south,  is  nearly  nine  hun 
dred  miles,  and  its  breadth,  about  eight  hun 
dred  miles.  The  production  of  tea  in  Japan  is 
enormous.  They  ship  to  the  United  States,  an 
nually,  about  thirty-five  million  pounds,  or  fifty 
per  cent  of  all  the  tea  consumed  here — the  rest 
comes  mostly  from  Formosa,  Foochow,  and  Amoy 

in  China. 

Japan  has  five  lines  of  railway  in  operation,  ag 
gregating  two  hundred  and  sixty  miles.  The  lon 
gest  line, from  Tokio  to  Xikko,is  seventy-five  miles. 
It  was  recently  opened,  and  belongs  to  the  Imperial 
Japanese  Railway  Company.  The  other  lines  are 
owned  and  operated  by  their  government.  All 
the  employes  on  the  trains  are  Japanese,  having 
learned  the  business  from  Englishmen  sent  here 
in  the  early  days  of  railroading  in  this  country. 
After  a  few  days'  stay  in  Yokohama  I  went  to 
Tokio.  This  is  the  largest  and  finest  city  in 
Japan,  and  is  its  capital.  The  city  was  founded 
nearly  three  hundred  years  ago.  Its  great  feature 
was,  and  still  is,  its  castle,  or  fort.  It  lies  on  a 
sidehill  overlooking  the  city,  and  is  partly  sur 
rounded  by  a  wide  canal,  so  that  in  case  of  an  in 
vasion  the  bridges  could  be  torn  down,  affording 
complete  protection.  Another  feature  of  the 
modern  capital  is  the  great  temple  district  of 
Sheba.  It  is  adorned  with  fine  old  trees,  rising 


oU  TJFK    AXD    TRAVELS    OF 

here  and  there  into  wooded  slopes  and  hills. 
These  groves  of  Sheba  were  once  secluded  and 
sacred,  but  are  now  opened  to  the  public. 

Another  beautiful  spot  of  like  association,  but 
made  far   less    beautiful    by   battle   and    fire,   is 
Woogeno,  or  Ugeno,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
city.     There  is  another  temple  in  Tokio,  called  the 
temple  of  Asakusa,  a  notable  place  of  its  kind, 
and  full  of  interest   to  the    stranger.     It    is   the 
principal  Buddhist  temple  in  Tokio.     Its  attrac 
tions  are  those  of  a  fair  rather  than  those  of  a 
temple,  having   such  exhibitions  as  tea  houses, 
waxworks,  shows,  monkeys,   and    various  enter 
tainments.       In     the     immediate     neighborhood 
singing  girls  make  merry  the  hearts    of  citi/ens 
and  visitors,  filling  their  ears  with  joyous  music, 
and  their  eyes  with  pictures  of  graceful  dancers. 
But   these   sights  are  not   strange  to  the  Jap 
anese  mind,  associated  with  their  temples  and  toy 
shops.     The  business  streets  and  shops  in  Tokio 
are  chiefly  managed  by  Japanese.     The  number  of 
foreign  residents  are  so  few  in  proportion  to  that 
of  their  own   nation   that  they   do  not  interfere 
with  the  native  aspect  of  the  place,  as  one  walks 
or    rides   along   its    thoroughfares.      During   my 
stay  in  Japan  I  rode  around  in  jinrikishas  to  my 
heart's  content.     One  consists  of  a  small  chaise  on 
two   wheels,   propelled    by  a    man    between   the 
shafts.     When  I  first  arrived  at  Tokio,  I  was  met 
at  the  station  by  one  of  these  carriage  men   who 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  31 

asked  me  in  English  if  1  wanted  to  go  to  a  good 
English  hotel.  I  told  him  that  I  did,  so  he  told 
me  to  get  into  his  conveyance,  and  he  would  take 
me  to  one.  After  taking  me  a  considerable  dis 
tance  up  town,  he  stopped  in  front  of  what  he 
told  me  I  would  find  a  good  English  hotel.  I 
was  surprised  on  entering  to  find  that  not  a  per 
son  could  understand  a  word  I  said,  so  I  returned 
to  the  street  and  informed  my  carriage  man  that 
he  had  made  a  mistake.  Then  he  informed  me 
that  I  could  get  a  good  English  dinner  here  any 
way.  I  told  him  to  tell  them  I  would  be  back  at 
noon,  in  time  for  dinner,  and  J  had  as  good  a 
meal  there  as  one  could  wish  for.  It  was  served 
in  courses,  French  style,  by  beautiful  young 
native  waiter  girls. 

The  Japanese  are  a  polite  and  genteel  race  of 
people.  The  women  of  the  higher  class  are 
pretty,  and  neatly  dressed,  and  keep  their  houses 
and  themselves  clean,  it  being  their  custom  to 
take  a  bath  every  day.  Before  anyone  can  enter 
their  house,  their  boots  have  to  be  taken  off,  and 
slippers,  which  will  be  found  outside  the  door, 
put  on  in  their  stead;  or,  if  a  person  chooses,  he 
can  go  in  in  his  stocking  feet.  The  floors  are  so 
clean  that  they  will  hardly  soil  a  white  pocket 
handkerchief.  It  is  the  custom  of  the  females,  as 
soon  as  they  marry,  to  blacken  their  teeth,  and 
arrange  their  hair  in  a  peculiar  style,  so  as  to  be 
easily  distinguished  from  those  who  are  not  mar 
ried. 


LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OK 

On  leaving  Tokio  I  went  down  the  inland  sea 
of  Japan,  anchoring  in  the  harbor  of  Koby,  a 
pretty  looking  European  town,  and  one  of  the 
places  open  to  foreign  trade.  Over  the  hills  be 
yond  lies  Hiogo,  which  is  a  genuine  old  Japanese 
town,  which  practically  adjoins  Koby,  and  is  con 
tiguous  with  it.  From  here  I  went  to  Osaka,  one 
of  the  three  large  cities  of  Japan.  It  has  a  pop 
ulation  of  one  million,  and  was  at  one  time  the 
capital.  The  most  beautiful  sea  voyage  in  the 
world  is  the  trip  on  the  inland  sea  of  Japan.  Be 
tween  the  large  islands  there  is  an  expanse  of 
water  five  hundred  miles  in  extent  from  east  to 
west,  and  varying  greatly  in  breadth,  forming  a 
landlocked  sea.  We  were  two  days  and  one  night 
making  the  trip,  and  during  the  whole  voyage  the 
water  had  scarcely  a  ripple  on  its  surface.  The 
sidehills  along  the  route  are  nearly  all  made  into 
tea  fields  by  building  terraces  one  above  the  other 
lo  the  very  top  of  the  highest  hills.  Our  passage 
through  this  sea  was  an  ever-changing  panorama 
of  green  fields  on  the  islands,  narrowing  straits, 
expanding  bays,  hills  and  valleys,  with  cities 
scattered  along  its  shores,  seeming  to  roll  past  us 
with  constantly  varying  beauty. 

After  passing  through  the  sea  we  arrived  at  Na 
gasaki.  This  was  the  last  place  we  stopped  at 
while  in  Japan.  While  here  I  had  the  pleasure 
of  seeing  the  manner  in  which  they  load  the 
ships  with  coal.  Small  girls  from  ten  to  fourteen 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  33 

years  old  form  a  line  from  the  lighter  to  the  deck 
of  the  ship,  and  pass  the  coal  in  baskets  from  one 
to  another,  the  one  on  deck  emptying  it  into  the 
ship's  hold.  The  wages  of  these  little  girls  for  a 
day's  work  is  about  fifteen  cents.  One  of  the 
great  features  of  the  country  is  the  sacred  moun 
tain,  Fujiama,  the  highest  mountain  in  Japan, 
thirteen  thousand  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea. 
It  was  a  volcano,  but  it  is  now  extinct.  On  ap 
proaching  Japan  it  can  be  seen  from  any  direction 
while  yet  far  out  at  sea. 

After  leaving  Nagasaki  we  crossed  the  Yellow 
Sea  to  Shanghai,  China.  On  the  way  we  experi 
enced  pretty  heavy  weather,  and  the  ship  rolled 
about  over  the  waves  in  a  frightful  manner,  and 
when  dinner  time  came  I  was  the  only  passenger 
at  the  table,  the  others  having  all  succumbed  to 
seasickness — a  sickness  I  never  was  troubled  with 
during  all  my  travels  by  water.  But  during  this 
voyage  I  was  sitting  on  a  chair  with  my  feet  on 
another  warming  them,  when  the  ship  gave  a 
sudden  lurch  to  one  side  and  threw  me  over 
against  a  table  which  stood  near  by  fastened  to 
the  floor,  with  such  a  force  as  to  break  it  loose, 
and  table,  chairs,  and  myself  were  piled  up  in  a 
heap  in  one  corner  of  the  cabin.  I  was  somewhat 
hurt  and  bruised  by  the  fall,  but  not  seriously. 

Shanghai  lies  about  fifty  miles  inland  on  the 
Yankersee  River.  It  has  a  large  European  popula 
tion,  French,  English,  and  Americans.  It  is  also 
3 


34  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

a  large  native  city,  having  fine  Avails  around  the 
old  town,  but  there  is  not  much  to  be  seen  here 
that  will  interest  a  stranger.  The  streets  are  nar 
row  and  dirty,  as  all  Chinese  cities  are.  The  first 
evening  of  my  arrival  here  I  left  the  hotel  in 
the  American  settlement  to  take  a  look  at  the  old 
town  inside  the  walls,  but  when  I  got  to  the  gate, 
I  found  that  no  Europeans  were  allowed  inside 
after  dark,  so  I  concluded  to  return  to  my  hotel, 
but  got  lost  in  the  native  settlement  outside  of  the 
walls,  it  being  almost  as  large  as  it  is  on  the  in 
side.  I  wandered  about  from  eight  o'clock  in  the 
evening  till  eleven,  trying  to  find  someone  who 
could  speak  enough  English  to  direct  me  to  the 
hotel  I  was  looking  for;  but  it  was  impossible  for 
me  to  make  either  police  officers  or  anyone  else 
understand  the  name,  and  I  began  to  think  I 
would  have  to  stay  out  all  night.  Finally,  about 
eleven  o'clock,  I  came  to  a  place  which  appeared 
to  be  a  Chinese  hotel,  so  I  stepped  in  and  inquired 
at  the  office  if  there  was  anyone  there  who  could 
speak  English.  A  party  of  Chinese  were  playing 
billiards  in  another  part  of  the  room.  The  officer 
called  to  one  of  them,  who  immediately  came  up 
to  me.  I  put  the  same  question  to  him,  and  on 
his  answering  me  in  the  affirmative,  I  asked  him 
to  tell  me  of  one  of  his  rikisha  men,  so  that  I 
could  get  him  to  take  me  to  the  Astor  House.  He 
did  so,  and  in  about  five  minutes'  time  I  was 
safely  landed  at  the  house  I  had  been  hunting 


JAMES    BATCHKLDER.  35 

for  all  the  evening.  In  Shanghai  and  in  Hong 
kong  they  have  some  of  the  Japanese  jinriki- 
shas,  but  the  wheelbarrow  is  the  old  mode  of 
conveyance,  and  is  still  used  to  some  extent,  al 
though  it  is  fast  giving  way  to  the  rikisha. 

From  Shanghai  we  went  to  Hongkong,  and 
then  to  Canton.  While  on  the  China  Sea  we  en 
countered  several  squalls,  but  nothing  serious,  al 
though  in  another  of  the  sudden  lurches  the  ship 
gave,  I  got  another  fall,  which  lamed  me  so  badly 
that  it  took  me  about  a  week  to  recover  from  it. 
While  in  Canton,  under  the  direction  of  a  guide, 
I  saw  all  that  was  to  be  seen  of  any  importance. 
While  here  I  did  as  every  other  visitor  does,  rode 
in  a  sedan  chair,  and  the  ride  ranks  among  the 
funniest  of  my  life.  The  motion  is  a  slow,  sleepy 
one,  but  not  altogether  unpleasant,  although, 
like  many  other  luxuries,  one  must  acquire  a 
taste  for  it.  Two  men  will  carry  a  chair  when 
one  goes  a  short  distance  only,  but  as  I  wanted  to 
be  out  all  day  I  had  to  have  six  men,  three  for 
my  guide's  chair  and  three  for  mine,  which  made, 
including  my  guide,  seven  men  for  me  to  pny 
making  sight-seeing  in  Canton  rather  expensive. 

Canton  is  the  second  city  in  size  in  China,  Pe- 
kin  being  the  largest.  During  my  stay  in  Canton  I 
took  my  meals  and  slept  on  board  the  ship  I  came 
on,  having  made  arrangements  with  the  captain 
to  do  so,  paying  the  regular  hotel  prices  for  the 
privilege.  There  is  only  one  European  hotel  in 


30  LIFK    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

Canton,  and  a  very  poor  one  at  that.  It  is  a  com 
mon  tiling  to  see  the  women  hobbling  along 
through  the  streets,  with  such  small  feet  encased 
in  such  tight  shoes  that  they  can  scarcely  walk. 
They  are  thus  crippled  while  yet  little  children 
by  the  cruel  custom  of  bandaging  their  feet,  bend 
ing  all  the  toes  but  the  large  one  under  the  foot 
until  they  are  dislocated.  The  heels  are  drawn 
up  towards  the  legs  until  a  partial  dislocation  of 
the  ankle  takes  place,  and  are  held  in  that  posi 
tion  by  bandages.  They  have  to  keep  the  band 
ages  on  for  ten  or  twelve  years,  which  cripples 
them  for  life.  They  suffer  the  most  excruciating 
pain  under  this  treatment,  but  it  entitles  them  to 
a  mark  of  distinction,  as  only  the  rich  and  aris 
tocratic  portion  of  the  people  practice  this  inhu 
man  treatment. 

On  my  return  to  Hongkong  I  had  to  wait  nine 
days  before  a  ship  left  for  the  direction  I  wished 
to  go,  although  three  days  would  have  afforded 
me  ample  time  to  see  all  there  was  to  be  seen  in 
the  place.  The  city  is  on  a  high  bluff  along  the 
bay,  presenting  a  fine  sight  from  the  ship  on  en 
tering  the  harbor,  but,  like  Constantinople,  when 
one  goes  ashore,  the  beauty  all  disappears.  Hong 
kong  belongs  to  the  English  Government,  and  is 
a  large  commercial  place,  having  trade  with  all 
parts  of  the  world. 

After  leaving  here  I  went  to  Saigon,  in  Anam, 
Cochin  China,  This  is  a  French  settlement,  and 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  37 

lies  about  fifty  miles  inland,  on  the  Saigon  River. 
We  then  went  to  Singapore,  in  Malay,  thence 
through  the  Straits  of  Malacca,  a  long  strip  of 
water  extending  from  southeast  to  northwest  and 
connecting  the  Bay  of  Bengal  with  the  South  Pa 
cific  Ocean.  It  is  a  pretty  piece  of  water,  and 
while  passing  through  it  we  were  never  out  of 
sight  of  land  on  one  side  or  the  other.  It  takes 
nearly  two  days  for  a  steamer  to  pass  through  it. 
On  the  east  is  the  peninsula  of  Malacca,  and  on 
the  west  is  the  island  of  Sumatra,  which  extends 
south  nearly  to  Java,  the  two  islands  being  sepa 
rated  by  the  Straits  of  Sunda.  Singapore  is  situ 
ated  on  an  island  fifty  or  sixty  miles  in  circumfer 
ence,  at  the  lower  end  of  the  straits.  There  are  about 
fifteen  thousand  inhabitants  on  the  island,  compris 
ing  Chinese,  Parsees,  Hindoos,  Singhalese,  Arabs, 
Armenians,  Japanese,  Siamese,  Jews,  and  negroes. 
From  Singapore  we  went  to  Columbo,  situated  on 
the  island  of  Ceylon.  While  on  the  voyage  cross 
ing  the  Indian  Ocean  we  had  the  pleasure  of 
viewing  some  of  the  beautiful  sunsets  of  which 
that  locality  is  so  famous.  There  is  no  place  in 
the  world  where  the  sunsets  form  such  beautiful 
pictures  as  on  the  Indian  Ocean.  This  is  sup 
posed  to  be  caused  by  the  sun  setting  behind  large 
banks  of  heavy  fog  that  rise  in  the  distance  in 
every  conceivable  shape  and  form.  And  when 
the  sun  is  setting  behind  this,  it  gives  it  the  color 
of  gold,  and  the  appearance  of  rivers  and  lakes, 


38  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

dotted  here  and  there,  containing  islands  of  every 
size  and  form  covered  with  vegetation  of  every 
kind;  and  little  boats  of  every  description  laden 
with  human  freight  seem  to  be  playing  on  the 
water  between  the  islands,  while  on  the  banks  and 
hills,  which  form  high  above  the  water,  can  be 
traced  magnificent  castles  and  palaces  surrounded 
by  gardens  and  groves  of  the  most  beautiful  fo 
liage,  and  in  the  background  rise  high  mountain 
peaks — all  seeming  as  natural  as  if  they  actually 
existed.  I  have  read  many  glowing  descriptions 
of  the  beauties  of  Paradise,  with  its  rivers  of  gold, 
etc.,  but  I  have  never  seen  anything  equal  to  make 
me  feel  the  realization  of  the  picture  as  did  the 
sunsets  on  the  Indian  Ocean. 

On  reaching  Columbo  I  took  a  trip  by  rail  sev 
enty-five  miles  inland  to  a  place  called  Kanda. 
Mile  after  mile  of  trees  of  wonderful  growth,  la 
den  with  spices  of  every  description,  is  seen  on  ev 
ery  side,  making  the  island  of  Ceylon,  as  it  is  said 
to  be,  the  garden  of  the  world, 

"  Where  every  prospect  pleases, 
And  only  man  is  vile." 

Almost  every  nationality  in  the  world  can  be 
found  on  this  island,  but  the  majority  of  the  pop 
ulation  is  divided  into  three  distinct  races,  called 
Singhalese,  Bergers,  and  Tamelites.  They  all 
dress  in  the  oriental  style,  and  men  and  women 
dress  alike.  They  wear  their  hair  done  up  on  the 
back  part  of  the  head,  and  fasten  it  with  a  tortoise 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  39 

shell  comb.     Neither  sex  wears  hats  or  headgear 
of  any  kind.     It  is  almost   impossible   to  tell  a 
male  from  a  female,  the  only  difference  being  in 
their   faces,  which  are  more   masculine  looking. 
There  is  a  small  class  of  people  here  called  Par- 
sees.     The  females  are  very  handsome,  and  the 
men  are  smart  business  people.     They  are  some 
what  like  our  Jews.     They  deal  in  clothing,  jew 
elry,  and  precious  stones,  the  latter,  such  as  rubies, 
sapphires,  the  topaz,  and  cat's  eye,  being  found  in 
large  quantities  on  the  island.     As  gold  is  not  a 
mineral  product  of  the  island,  they  buy  gold  coin, 
such  as  English  sovereigns  and  French  Napoleons, 
which  they  make  into  very  fine  jewelry.     While 
in  Columbo  I  saw  Arabi  Pasha,  who  was  exiled  to 
this  island,  but  is  at  liberty  to  go  and  come  as  he 
pleases  to  any  part  of  it.     He  lives  in  a  fine  house 
near  the  edge  of  a  lovely  lake,  in  the  neighbor 
hood  of  the  cinnamon  garden.     I  had  a  long  talk 
with  him  through  an  interpreter.     He  has  four 
wives  with  him,  whom  he  brought  from  Egypt. 

After  a  ten  days'  sojourn  on  this  delightful 
island,  I  started  for  Calcutta  by  the  way  of  Mad 
ras,  passing  through  the  Bay  of  Bengal,  and  up 
the  Hoogley  River.  At  Madras  the  ship  anchored 
some  distance  from  shore,  and  the  Hindoo  natives 
came  out  in  small  boats  to  take  the  passengers 
ashore.  I  made  a  bargain  with  one  to  land  me 
for  two  rupees  and  eight  annas,  but  when  three 
or  four  yards  from  shore,  the  water  was  too  shal- 


40  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

low  to  allow  the  boat  going  any  further,  so  the 
coolies  took  me  in  their  arms  and  carried  me  to 
dry  land,  for  which  they  wanted  extra  pay,  but  I 
refused  to  pay  it,  as  the  bargain  was  for  them  to 
land  me  for  the  sum  already  stated.  AVe  had 
quite  an  exciting  time  for  a  little  while,  fifteen 
or  twenty  of  those  half-naked  natives  having 
gathered  around  me  to  demand  extra  pay  for 
what  they  deemed  extra  services.  I  knew  they 
were  not  entitled  to  it,  so  did  not  give  it  to  them. 
They  take  every  advantage  of  a  foreigner  they 
can,  and  will  beat  him  every  time  unless  he  is 
determined  to  fight  his  way  through. 

Calcutta  is  a  large  city,  and  lies  one  hundred 
miles  inland  on  the  Hoogley  River,  one  of  the 
mouths  of  the  Ganges,  as  that  river  ends  in  sev 
eral  streams,  each  having  a  different  name,  but 
all  emptying  into  the  Bengal  Bay.  Calcutta  has 
been  the  capital  of  the  British  Empire  for  more 
than  a  century,  and  it  is  the  center  of  British 
influence  for  the  whole  East.  Fort  William  is  an 
extensive  fortress  standing  on  the  Maidan,  a  vast 
open  plain  extending  more  than  two  miles  up 
and  down  the  Hoogley  River  south  of  the  city. 
The  portion  of  the  Maidan  bordering  on  the  river 
is  the  most  fashionable  drive  in  the  city,  being 
similar  to  the  Prater,  in  Vienna,  or  Rotten  Row, 
in  Hyde  Park,  London.  Every  evening  just  be 
fore  sunset,  when  the  heat  of  the  day  has  passed, 
all  Calcutta  turns  out  for  an  hour's  drive  up  and 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  41 

down  the  strand.  The  sight  is  one  of  the  gayest 
to  be  seen  in  the  suburbs  of  any  city,  and  one  of 
the  most  peculiar.  Nowhere  in  the  East  or  West 
have  I  seen  anything  to  equal  it.  Europeans  in 
gay  equipages,  with  their  Sepoy  outriders,  move 
along  in  a  steady  line,  three  or  four  abreast,  until 
night  comes  on.  The  scene  is  decidedly  oriental. 
Coachmen  and  footmen,  some  of  whom  are 
splendid  types  of  the  various  tribes  of  India,  are 
all  dressed  in  Eastern  costumes,  the  colors  and 
styles  of  which  are  as  varied  as  the  races  of  Hin- 
dostan.  One  who  would  study  oriental  life 
should  not  fail  to  be  on  the  strand  an  hour  before 
sunset. 

While  at  Calcutta  I  visited  the  cremation 
ground,  where  the  bodies  of  the  dead  are  burned. 
On  the  death  of  a  Hindoo,  the  body  is  put  on  a 
litter  and  carried  on  the  shoulders  of  four  men 
down  to  the  river,  where  it  is  dipped  into  the 
water  and  then  taken  to  the  cremating  ground 
and  placed  on  a  large  pile  of  wood,  prepared  for 
that  purpose,  and  burnt.  The  water  in  the  river 
is  considered  sacred,  and  their  belief  is  that  if 
they  dip  the  body  into  it,  his  or  her  sins  will  all 
be  washed  away.  There  is  hardly  a  day  passes 
but  one  or  more  bodies  may  be  seen  upon  the  burn 
ing  funeral  pyre,  which  is  in  a  stone  building  on 
the  banks  of  the  Hoogley  River,  facing  the  stream. 
The  building  is  about  two  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  feet  long  by  fifty  broad.  The  front  has  a 


42  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

stone  rail  about  four  feet  high  running  along  the 
edge  of  the  bank.  There  is  no  flooring  other  than 
the  solid  earth.  From  the  front  a  stone  stairway 
about  ten  feet  wide  leads  down  to  the  river.  The 
land  entrance  is  composed  of  archways  in  the 
back  wall,  close  to  the  sides,  through  which  the 
bodies  are  carried  for  cremation.  Calcutta  has 
several  fine  large  public  gardens,  where  bands 
of  music  play  each  evening  to  large  crowds  of 
people,  comprising  nearly  every  nationality.  I 
did  not  remain  in  this  delightful  city  as  long  as 
I  should  have  if  the  weather  had  not  been  so  hot, 
the  mercury  usually  reaching  one  hundred  and 
twenty  and  one  hundred  and  thirty  degrees 
above  zero  in  the  shade  all  day,  and  not  less  than 
one  hundred  during  the  night. 

Leaving  there  I  went  to  Delhi,  a  distance  of 
nine  hundred  and  fifty-five  miles  inland,  in 
which  place  I  staid  a  week,  and  then  went  to 
Bombay.  Delhi  is,  or  rather  was,  the  old  imperial 
city  of  India,  and  during  my  stay  there  I  visited 
all  places  of  note.  Familiar  as  they  seemed  to 
me  from  the  description  I  read  during  the  time 
of  the  Indian  mutiny  in  1857,  I  found  I  knew 
but  little  about  it  in  reality.  Modern  Delhi  was 
built  by  the  Emperor  Shah  Jehan,  about  the  mid 
dle  of  the  seventeenth  century.  It  is  inclosed  by 
a  wall,  or  rampart  of  red  granite,  five  and  one- 
half  miles  in  circuit.  There  are  twelve  gates,  the 
principal  ones  being  the  Calcutta,  Kashmir,  Moori, 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  4o 

Lahore,  and  Delhi  gates.  The  streets  are  full  of 
busy  people,  each  one  talking  at  the  top  of  his 
voice,  as  though  the  person  addressed  was  de 
prived  of  his  hearing.  Venders  of  all  kinds  of 
produce,  displaying  their  stock  in  trade  on  the 
backs  of  donkeys  and  camels,  seem  to  be  ev 
erywhere,  and  business  looks  brisk  with  them. 
Dirty,  barefooted  little  children,  clad  in  very  short 
skirts,  and  magicians  or  jugglers,  who  perform 
all  kinds  of  tricks  in  the  open  air,  help  to  swell 
the  throng.  Beggars,  as  in  all  other  parts  of  the 
East,  are  very  plentiful,  and  appeal  to  the  charity 
of  strangers.  If  given  a  small  sum,  the}^  are  con 
tent  to  go  their  way,  but  if  their  prayer  is  un 
heeded,  they  will  follow  you  and  keep  up  a  con 
tinual  appeal,  as  long  as  you  stay  in  the  vicinity. 
The  weather  at  Delhi  is  hot,  and  everyone  seems 
to  stay  outdoors  as  much  as  possible. 

The  products  of  the  country  are  brought  to 
market  on  the  backs  of  camels.  They  file  into 
the  city  in  the  morning  from  every  direction  in 
long  lines.  Each  beast  is  tied  by  a  rope  or  chain 
to  the  back  strap  of  the  one  that  precedes  it.  They 
move  along  steadily,  neither  turning  to  the  right 
nor  left,  their  packs  often  extending  three  or  four 
feet  from  their  sides.  One  meeting  them  with  a 
carriage  has  to  be  careful  not  to  come  in  contact 
with  them,  otherwise  he  would  be  in  danger  of 
being  carried  along  by  them,  as  they  will  not  stop 
or  turn  out  for  anyone.  Before  the  present  city 


44  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

was  built,  Delhi  had  occupied  various  sites  within 
a  circuit  of  twenty  miles  to  the  south  and  west, 
most  of  which  space  is  now  covered  with  ruins. 
Their  changes  of  locality  were  owing  sometimes 
to  invasions  destroying  the  old  towns  and  necessi 
tating  the  construction  of  new,  and  sometimes  to 
the  ambition  of  particular  emperors,  who  wished 
to  found  a  more  splendid  residence  than  those  of 
their  predecessors.  Wherever  the  king  built  his 
fortified  palace,  there  the  nobles  clustered  around 
him,  and  the  inhabitants  of  the  old  city  followed 
the  court,  botli  on  account  of  the  trade  which  it 
controlled,  and  because  their  old  town,  being  un 
protected  by  the  king's  soldiers,  became  exposed  to 
the  assaults  of  the  robber  tribes.  The  whole  arena 
covered  with  ruins  is  not  less  than  forty-five  square 
miles.  The  principal  street  in  Delhi  is  called 
Chandi  Chawk.  It  is  about  a  mile  in  length  and 
one  hundred  and  twenty  feet  wide,  and  extends 
from  the  western  entrance  of  the  palace  to  the 
Lahore  gate.  Another  large  street  intersects  the 
city  from  north  to  south.  During  my  stay  in 
Delhi  I  visited  the  palace  and  citadel,  the  Kot- 
wale,  in  front  of  which  many  notorious  rebels 
were  executed  after  the  capture  of  the  city  by  the 
English  in  1857.  Close  to  it  is  the  mosque,  where 
Nadir  Shaw  sat  in  1738  and  ordered  the  massacre 
in  which  one  hundred  thousand  of  the  Delhi  peo 
ple  were  killed.  Just  beyond  this  is  the  arsenal, 
a  portion  of  which  was  blown  up  by  Lieutenant 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  45 

Willoughby  in  1857,  to  prevent  its  falling  into  the 
hands  of  the  rebels.  Leaving  the  palace  we  pro 
ceeded  to  the  Jami  mosque,  one  of  the  most  beau 
tiful  mosques  in  the  East,  situated  on  a  small 
rocky  eminence  overlooking  the  city.  The  court, 
a  square  of  450  feet,  is  paved  with  stone,  and  has 
handsome  sandstone  gateways  on  each  of  the  three 
sides,  with  a  magnificent  flight  of  steps  leading  to 
each.  From  the  summit  a  lovely  view  is  obtained 
of  the  city  and  surrounding  country,  widely  over 
spread  with  monuments  and  other  buildings  in 
various  stages  of  decay.  There  are  a  great  many 
ancient  buildings  and  mosques  in  Delhi,  but  to 
describe  them  all  would  take  up  too  much  time 
and  space.  The  tomb  of  the  Emperor  Houma- 
gouri  is  the  most  noted.  It  stands  in  the  middle 
of  an  immense  terrace,  and  is  surrounded  by  a 
beautiful  flower  garden.  It  is  composed  of  white 
marble  and  rose-colored  sandstone,  and  the  dome 
is  the  perfection  of  strength  and  grace.  Around 
it,  spreading  from  the  Jumna  River  to  the  western 
hills,  are  a  multitude  of  tombs  of  every  descrip 
tion.  He  is  said  to  be  the  true  founder  of  the 
great  Mogul  dynasty,  but  he  did  not  long  enjoy 
the  empire  conquered  by  his  father,  for,  having 
been  deposed  by  a  successful  rebellion,  he  became 
a  fugitive,  and  had  to  take  refuge  with  the  king 
of  Persia.  At  length  he  treacherously  got  posses 
sion  of  a  city  belonging  to  his  protector,  and,  with 
the  money  and  forces  obtained  by  this  act,  he  sue- 


46  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

ceeded  in  overthrowing  his  younger  brother,  Kam- 
ran.  Having  put  out  Kamran's  eyes,  he  continued 
the  reconquest  of  his  empire,  and  at  last  re-estab 
lished  his  throne  at  Delhi,  after  sixteen  years  of 
exile.  Six  months  afterward  he  died  from  inj uries 
received  from  a  foil  down  the  staircase  of  his  li 
brary  upon  a  marble  floor.  Delhi  lies  upon  the 
banks  of  the  Jumna  River,  three  hundred  and 
ninety-four  miles  north  of  Allahabad,  at  which 
place  it  unites  with  the  Ganges.  On  my  way  to 
Delhi  I  passed  through  Allahabad.  It  is  situated 
on  the  tongue  of  land  formed  by  the  confluence 
of  the  Jumna  and  Ganges,  and  is  considered  by 
the  Hindoos  as  one  of  the  most  sacred  localities, 
being  a  place  where  three  rivers  unite,  only  two 
of  which,  however,  are  visible.  The  third  is  sup 
posed  to  flow  direct  from  heaven,  and  add  its  ce 
lestial  waters  unseen  by  mortal  eye.  When  a  pil 
grim  arrives  here  he  sits  down  at  the  bank  of  the 
river  and  has  his  head  and  body  shaved,  so  that 
each  hair  may  fell  into  the  water.  They  claim 
that  the  sacred  writings  promise  them  one  million 
years'  residence  in  heaven  for  every  hair  thus  de 
posited.  After  shaving  he  bathes  in  the  water, 
and  then  is  supposed  to  be  prepared  to  take  his 
flight  to  the  better  world. 

The  Hindoos  are  either  Buddhist  or  Brahmin 
in  their  religion,  but  the  former  are  few  in  com 
parison  to  the  number  of  their  inhabitants.  They 
are  all  idolaters.  They  do  not  worship  the  im- 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  47 

ages,  but  the  holy  men  whom  they  represent. 
They  believe  in  a  supreme  being,  but  do  not 
worship,  as  they  claim  he  does  not  want  worship. 
They  respect  the  memory  of  their  dead  relatives, 
and  worship  their  fathers  and  mothers.  They 
also  worship  those  who  have  been  worthy  men 
and  left  records  behind  them,  whom  they  claim 
to  be  God  incarnate,  like  our  Christ.  They  do 
not  worship  a  god,  but  godlike  men,  and  they 
say  and  believe  that  the  spirits  of  these  are  in  the 
images  and  animals  that  they  worship.  They  do 
not  worship  the  serpent,  but  the  power  it  possesses. 
The  serpent  with  them  is  the  symbol  of  eternity, 
because  with  a  single  sting  he  can  pass  a  man 
into  eternity.  The  cow  is  also  very  divine,  be 
cause  it  gives  milk  to  all,  but  they  do  not  worship 
the  animals,  only  the  power  they  have.  The 
Hindoos  are  very  devout  worshipers,  and  I  have 
seen  them  kneeling  to  trees  in  parks  and  gardens, 
making  all  kinds  of  gestures  with  their  hands, 
while  every  few7  minutes  they  would  make  a  quick 
bend  forward  and  kiss  the  earth  near  the  roots  of 
the  tree  and  then  straighten  up  and  go  through 
with  the  same  motions  as  before,  repeating  this 
thirty  minutes  at  a  time  in  many  cases. 

On  leaving  Delhi  I  went  to  Bombay,  eight 
hundred  and  fifty  miles  by  rail.  The  railroads 
in  India  are  all  owrned  by  the  English,  and  are 
all  well  built,  and  kept  in  good  order.  The 
bridges  are  all  built  of  iron,  and  the  depots  are 


48  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS   OF 

the  finest  I  have  seen  anywhere.  The  ears  are 
the  same  as  those  used  in  Europe.  They  are  di 
vided  into  compartments,  first,  second,  and  third- 
class,  and  just  before  the  train  starts,  the  doors 
are  all  locked,  and  kept  so  until  the  train  stops  at 
a  station,  when  they  are  unlocked,  and  relocked 
when  the  train  is  ready  to  start  again.  This  is 
kept  up  until  they  arrive  at  the  end  of  the  road. 
While  in  Bombay  I  was  introduced  to  the 
national  dish,  and  also  the  national  beverage, 
namely:  Bombay  duck,  curry  and  rice,  and 
brandy  and  soda.  They  were  not  bad  to  take, 
especially  the  latter.  One  of  the  great  sights  to 
be  seen  here  is  the  Elephant's  Cave.  It  is  a  sub 
terranean  temple  in  a  solid  rock,  which  has  been 
hewn  and  chiseled  away  to  the  very  center  of 
the  mountain.  The  excavation  consists  of  four 
chambers.  The  central  one  is  majestic  with  gate 
ways,  abutments,  porches,  and  columns.  On 
either  side  of  the  principal  hall  or  temple  are 
lesser  chambers,  or  chapels.  The  roof  is  sup 
ported  by  massive  pillars,  each  of  which  repre 
sents  a  figure.  The  whole  temple  is  filled  with 
colossal  figures,  twice  the  size  of  the  human  fig 
ure,  and  representing  heathen  gods.  This  cave  is 
supposed  to  have  been  built  about  twelve  hun 
dred  years  ago,  and  is  one  of  the  curiosities  of  the 
world.  Unfortunately  for  sight-seers,  the  cave 
has  been  almost  ruined,  as  most  of  the  pillars 
have  been  broken  down  by  the  guns  of  the  Portu- 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  49 

guese  fired  into  it,  to  clear  it  of  the  nest  of  rebels 
who  took  refuge  in  its  vast  recesses.  There 
is  a  class  of  people'  in  Bombay  called  Parsees, 
numbering  about  ten  thousand,  which  embody  a 
great  part  of  the  wealthy  members  of  the  city. 
The  most  intelligent  and  enterprising  are  also 
found  among  them.  No  small  part  of  the  busi 
ness  of  the  East  is  in  their  hands,  and  leading 
houses  have  branches  in  Paris,  London,  and  also 
eastern  Asia.  Their  dress  is  partly  European 
and  partly  oriental.  The  Parsee  women  are  very 
handsome ;  in  fact,  they  are  the  most  beautiful 
women  I  have  ever  seen  during  my  travels.  The 
Parsees  have  a  peculiar  way  of  disposing  of  their 
dead.  They  have  a  large  cemetery  on  Malabar 
Hill,  near  Bombay.  The  ground  is  the  highest 
in  the  vicinity,  and  selected  for  the  reason  that 
no  one  can  look  into  it.  The  approaches  to  it  are 
guarded,  and  no  one  is  allowed  to  enter  except 
the  priests  and  those  who  have  charge  of  the 
dead.  Within  this  cemetery  are  five  round 
stone  towers,  called  towers  of  silence,  each  about 
sixty  feet  in  diameter  and  forty  or  fifty  feet  in 
height.  When  a  death  occurs,  the  body  is  taken 
to  the  gate  of  the  cemetery  and  delivered  into 
the  hands  of  the  priests.  After  a  ceremonial,  the 
body  is  taken  to  one  of  the  towers  and  laid  on  a 
grate  on  the  top  of  the  tower.  A  flock  of  vultures 
is 'always  waiting  to  devour  the  flesh,  and  the 
bones  fall  into  the  body  of  the  tower  below.  It 

OF  THE     ^^ 
|   UNIVERSITY 

OF 


50  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

seems  a  most  revolting  mode  of  disposing  of  one's 
near  and  dear  friends.  I  should  much  prefer  the 
Hindoo  mode  of  cremating. 

Bombay  is  a  pretty  city,  full  of  very  fine  gar 
dens,  and  boasts  a  very  large  common,  upon 
which  one  of  the  military  bands  stationed  there 
play  every  evening,  and  the  common,  in  con 
sequence,  is  thronged  at  such  times  with  ladies 
and  gentlemen.  I  was  reluctant  to  leave  Bombay, 
in  spite  of  its  being  so  hot,  as  it  is  a  very  pretty 
place.  The  weather  in  all  parts  of  India,  as  well 
as  on  the  Isle  of  Ceylon,  "was  so  hot  that  to  be 
able  to  sleep  at  night  I  had  to  hire  a  coolie  to  fan 
me  with  a  punka.  This  is  a  wide  piece  of  cloth 
suspended  by  cords  from  the  ceiling  over  the  bed, 
and  about  six  inches  from  it.  A  string  is  attached 
to  this,  run  through  a  pulley,  and  fastened  in  the 
wall  of  the  room,  passing  through  it  down  into 
the  hall.  A  coolie  sits  in  the  hall,  and  pulls  the 
string  all  night  for  half  a  rupee,  amounting  to 
twenty  cents  in  our  money.  From  the  sweep  of 
the  fan  a  fine  breeze  is  obtained,  which  enables 
one  to  get  a  good  night's  rest.  This,  together 
with  plenty  of  cold  brandy  and  soda,  enabled  me 
to  get  through  this  hot  country  all  right. 

After  leaving  Bombay,  I  went  by  steamer  to 
Suez,  crossing  the  Arabian  Sea,  thence  through 
the  Gulf  of  Aden,  and  up  the  Red  Sea,  a  long, 
narrow  body  of  water  lying  between  Arabia  and 
Abyssinia,  with  land  in  sight  most  of  the  way. 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  51 

When  passing  through  the  Gulf  of  Suez,  at  the 
upper  end  of  the  Red  Sea,  we  were  shown  the 
place  where  the  Israelites  crossed.  It  is  needless 
to  say  that  their  tracks  are  not  visible  at  the 
present  time.  At  this  point  Mt.  Sinai  is  in 
plain  view  on  the  Arabia  side,  while  the  land  of 
Egypt  is  on  the  other.  At  Suez  I  employed  a 
guide  to  take  me  to  the  train,  which  runs  to  Cairo, 
Egypt.  We  had  to  travel  about  two  miles  on  the 
backs  of  donkeys  to  reach  the  station.  On  going 
ashore  at  Suez  we  saw  some  thirty  or  forty  Arabs 
coming  on  the  backs  of  those  little  animals,  run 
ning  them  at  full  speed  until  they  came  up  to  us, 
and  then  stopping  short,  each  one  wishing  us  to 
hire  his  donkey,  and  being  so  persistent  that  I 
was  compelled  to  strike  some  of  them  several 
times  to  keep  them  away  from  me.  Our  Sail 
Francisco  hotel  runners  and  hack  drivers  are  bad 
enough,  but  these  fellows  take  the  cake.  I  finally 
told  my  guide  to  pick  out  three,  and  make  the 
rest  stand  back,  or  I  might  have  to  murder  a  few 
of  them.  After  settling  the  donkey  question- 
luckily,  without  any  bloodshed — we  proceeded  on 
our  way  to  the  station,  which  we  reached  without 
further  trouble.  On  our  way  to  Cairo  we  passed 
through  Fel  el  Kabier,  where  the  English  army 
surprised  and  captured  the  Egyptians,  under 
Arabi  Pasha,  a  short  time  ago.  Cairo  has  become 
almost  entirely  a  modern  city.  In  Constantinople 
you  can  see  the  Turk  now  as  he  was  two  thousand 


52  LIFE    AND   TRAVELS    OF 

years  ago,  but  Egypt  has  been  overrun  since  early 
in  the  present  century  by  Greeks,  Italians,  and 
French,  who  have  usurped  the  commerce,  and 
crowded  the  natives  into  the  background.  Of 
ancient  Egypt  one  does  not  see  much  in  the  city 
itself,  although  it  is  close  at  hand.  There  are 
white  colored  buildings  by  the  thousands,  all  in 
the  Italian  style,  for  the  architects  of  modern 
Cairo  have  all  been  Italians.  The  buildings  are 
placed  on  broad  streets  and  avenues,  running  in 
such  different  ways  that  they  seem  to  have  but 
slight  relation  to  one  another.  The  foreign  por 
tion  covers  many  miles  of  ground,  some  of  the 
finest  palaces  and  gardens  lying  on  the  banks  of 
the  Nile.  Of  course  the  Arabs,  and  their  don 
keys,  camels,  tricks  of  trade,  etc.,  are  scattered 
throughout  this  quarter,  and  their  houses  and 
streets  are  in  the  immediate  vicinity.  Sometimes 
a  minute's  or  at  most  a  five  minutes'  walk  from 
this  modern  part  of  the  city  will  take  you  into 
the  midst  of  a  life  that  has  scarcely  changed 
since  the  time  of  Ohemtop,  except  as  modified  by 
Mahomet  and  his  doctrines.  While  here  I  did 
the  Pyramids,  as  nearly  every  visitor  does.  I 
climbed  the  rugged  side  of  the  largest  one  of 
them,  a  distance  of  four  hundred  and  eighty  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  plain.  The  Pyramid  is 
six  hundred  and  ninety-three  feet  square  at  the 
base.  The  stones  of  which  it  is  composed  are 
about  thirty  feet  long,  four  feet  high,  and  three 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  53 

feet  broad.  It  covers  about  eleven  acres.  The 
height  is  480  feet,  and  its  summit  is  a  platform  of 
thirteen  feet  square,  composed  of  twelve  massive 
stones.  The  ascent  is  made  with  the  help  of  three 
Arabs,  two  of  whom  go  ahead,  and  lend  their  as 
sistance  by  reaching  down  and  taking  hold  of  your 
hands,  while  the  other  assists  you  from  behind. 
You  put  one  foot  on  the  step  above,  and  with  the 
combined  efforts  of  yourself  and  the  three  guides, 
you  are  raised  to  the  next  step,  repeating  this  un 
til  the  top  is  reached.  The  task  is  a  hard  one, 
and  only  a  few  steps  can  be  taken  without  sitting 
down  for  a  rest. 

On  descending,  two  of  the  guides  jump  down 
to  the  steps  below,  and,  by  placing  your  arms  upon 
their  shoulders,  you  let  yourself  down  on  a  level 
with  them.  Meantime  the  third  man  has  a  rope 
tied  under  your  arms,  while  he  stands  on  the  step 
above  and  holds  onto  the  end  of  it  to  keep  you 
from  pitching  forward.  These  men  are  very  at 
tentive  to  their  trust;  but  as  soon  as  they  start 
with  you,  they  keep  continually  begging  for  back- 
sheesh,  telling  you  the  while  how  safely  they  will 
take  you  up  and  back,  if  you  will  but  give  them 
a  little  something  and  not  let  the  old  sheik  know- 
it,  for  he  would  take  it  away  from  them.  The 
sheik  is  the  man  who  has  charge  of  all  the  guides 
here,  some  thirty  or  forty  in  number,  and  he  re 
ceives  all  the  money  paid  for  their  services.  I 
also  visited  the  famous  Sphinx,  which  is  situated 


54  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

in  the  vicinity  of  the  Pyramids.  It  is  a  colossal 
image  made  of  one  piece  of  stone.  But  it  has 
been  badly  defaced,  having  parts  broken  from  its 
arms,  nose,  and  ears,  which  has  robbed  it  of  its 
beauty,  if  it  ever  had  any.  I  remained  in  Cairo 
five  days,  during  which  time  I  visited  the  citadel 
and  several  other  places  of  note.  The  citadel  is 
built  upon  a  high  hill,  and  overlooks  the  entire 
country  as  far  as  the  eye  can  see.  It  was  very 
lively  while  I  was  there,  for  just  before  my  arrival 
atjout  fifteen  thousand  English  soldiers  had  ar 
rived  from  Tel  el  Kabier,  the  Egyptian  war  hav 
ing  just  closed. 

On  my  way  to  Cairo  we  took  dinner  at  Zaga- 
zig.  Here  I  met  an  American  gentleman  from 
Philadelphia,  and  I  found  him  one  of  the  most 
agreeable  fellows  I  ever  came  across.  One  even 
ing  we  went  into  the  Pasha's  garden,  and  hired  a 
nargilla,  or  Turkish  pipe,  for  two,  paying  one 
piaster  (about  five  cents  of  our  money)  apiece  for 
the  pipes  and  tobacco.  Then  we  had  to  hire  a 
native  to  start  them  going  for  us.  I  wondered 
what  the  home  folks  would  think  could  they  have 
seen  us. 

From  Cairo  I  went  to  Ismalia,  half  way  up  the 
Suez  Canal,  thence  through  the  canal  to  Port  Said. 
The  canal  is  about  one  hundred  miles  in  length. 
It  is  carried  on  embankments  raised  in  four  suc 
cessive  natural  lakes.  The  depth  of  the  water  is 
twenty  feet,  and  its  width  at  the  bottom  is  two 


JAMES    BATCHELDER. 


55 


hundred  and  forty-six  feet.  Its  minimum  width 
at  the  top  is  three  hundred  and  forty-six  feet.  It 
is  without  locks  and  nothing  but  steam  vessels 
use  it.  They  make  the  transit  in  twenty-four 
hours. 


CHAPTER   III. 

CONTINUATION    OF  'A    TRIP     AROUND    THE    WORLD. 


N  leaving  Port  Said  I  went  to  Joppa,  the 
seaport  for  Jerusalem.  Joppa  stands  on  a 
high  hill  formed  like  a  sugar  loaf.  On 
the  summit  is  a  small  citadel,  or  fort,  which  com 
mands  the  town,  while  the  bottom  of  the  hill  is 
surrounded  by  a  wall.  The  place  looks  rather 
desolate  at  the  present  time.  The  harbor  is  one 
of  the  worst  in  the  world.  If  a  ship  arrives  in 
stormy  weather,  the  passengers  cannot  be  landed, 
and  have  either  to  be  taken  to  Bey  root  or  Port 
Said,  whichever  place  the  ship  is  bound  for;  then, 
if  the  weather  permits,  they  are  taken  to  Joppa 
by  the  next  steamer  bound  for  there.  When  I 
arrived  it  was  calm  but  foggy,  and  we  were  lost 
for  sometime;  however,  after  cruising  round  for 
a  while  and  taking  soundings,  we  made  our  land- 
(56) 


JAMES    BATCH  ELDER.  57 

ing  in  perfect  safety,  about  four  hours  late.  In 
sacred  history  Joppa  appears  as  the  port  of  Jeru 
salem  in  the  time  of  David  and  Solomon.  And 
it  was  the  place  to  which  the  cedars  of  Lebanon 
were  floated  from  Tyre  for  the  building  of  King 
Solomon's  temple.  It  was  at  Joppa  that  the 
Apostle  Peter  saw  the  vision  which  corrected  his 
Jewish  prejudices  concerning  the  Gentiles.  It 
was  here  that  St.  Peter  brought  to  life  a  Christian 
woman  named  Dorcas,  while  he  was  here  with  a 
tanner  by  the  name  of  Simon.  The  house  of 
Simon  is  still  standing,  and  is  among  the  curiosi 
ties  shown  to  visitors  sojourning  there. 

From  Joppa  we  went  by  stage  to  Jerusalem, 
forty  miles  distant,  most  of  the  way  being  over 
barren  fields  of  stone,  occasionally  relieved  by  a 
few  olive  trees.  Of  the  many  places  and  things 
to  be  seen  in  and  about  Jerusalem,  I  will  only 
give  a  slight  description  of  some  of  the  most  im 
portant.  The  best  -time  to  visit  this  place  is  dur 
ing  Easter,  for  at  that  season  there  are  pilgrims  of 
both  sexes  from  all  nations  on  a  pilgrimage  to 
this  Holy  City,  the  most  devout  among  them 
being  poorly  clad  Russians  and  Jews.  In  the 
district  where  Jerusalem  is  situated,  many  of  the 
great  events  recorded  in  the  Scriptures  took  place. 
They  are  all  shown  and  explained  to  the  visitor 
by  the  well-posted  dragoman,  or  guide,  who  is 
usually  engaged  for  the  occasion.  The  church 
of  the  Holy  Sepulcher  is  the  most  historical  and 


LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

interesting  thing  to  be  seen  there.  It  is  supposed 
to  comprehend  within  its  limits  the  scenes  of  the 
great  events  of  the  crucifixion,  entombment,  and 
resurrection  of  Christ.  It  was  built  by  the  Em 
press  Helena,  mother  of  Constantino  the  Great. 
Another  very  interesting  object  is  the  mosque  of 
Omar,  or  the  dome  of  the  rock  on  Mt.  Moriah. 
It  occupies  the  site,  and  is  supposed  to  contain 
some  of  the  ruins,  of  the  temple.  It  was  here 
that  Abraham  offered  up  his  only  son  on  the  altar, 
and  where  David  offered  burnt  offerings,  when 
the  destroying  angel  with  uplifted  sword  stood 
over  the  doomed  city.  The  temple  has  passed 
away  now,  and  in  its  place  stands  the  mosque  of 
Omar.  It  is  over  five  hundred  feet  in  circumfer 
ence,  and  is  surmounted  by  a  large  dome.  On 
the  outside  it  is  covered  with  tiling  and  colored 
marble.  Inside  the  dome  is  covered  with  gold 
and  delicate  tracery.  The  walls  are  covered  with 
beautiful  mosaics  and  passages  from  the  Koran. 
Inside  the  twelve  marble  pillars  that  support  the 
dome  is  a  space  sixty  feet  in  diameter.  This  is 
inclosed  by  an  iron  railing  and  lattice  work,  and 
overhung  with  a  fine  canopy  of  crimson  silk. 
This  is  the  spot  where  the  ark  of  the  covenant  is 
supposed  to  have  stood  in  ages  gone  by.  The  vis 
itor  is  not  allowed  to  enter  this  sacred  inclosure, 
but  he  can  put  his  hand  through  the  lattice,  and 
touch  the  stone.  It  was  from  this  rock,  the  Mo 
hammedan  says,  that  the  prophet  Mohammed 


JAMES    BATCH  ELDER,  59 

took  his  upward  flight,  when  one  night  he  as 
cended  to  heaven.  This  is  not  a  place  where  the 
traveler  can  visit  as  he  wills,  like  most  of  the 
places  in  Palestine,  for  the  Moslems  guard  the 
place  with  great  jealousy,  and  for  years  would  not 
allow  a  Christian  to  enter  it  on  pain  of  death. 
Now,  however,  it  can  be  visited  with  suitable  per 
mits,  which  can  be  obtained  from  the  consul  of 
your  government,  at  Jerusalem.  The  city  of  Je 
rusalem  was  built  on  five  hills,  called  Mt.  Moriah, 
Zion,  Equer,  Ophen,  and  Calvary.  The  city  is 
surrounded  by  a  fine  wall,  some  twenty  feet  high 
and  from  six  to  eight  feet  thick.  This  wall  has 
six  gates,  of  which  Joppa  and  Damascus  are  the 
principal  ones.  The  land  about  the  city  is  very 
poor,  rocky,  and  uneven,  and  but  little  can  be 
raised  here  excepting  olives,  of  which  there  are  a 
great  many  old  orchards.  Tourists,  most  compe 
tent  to  judge,  are  agreed  that  the  present  olive 
trees  on  Mt.  Olivet,  near  Jerusalem,  are  the  same 
that  Christ  prayed  under,  and  where  his  disciples 
fell  asleep  nearly  nineteen  hundred  years  ago, 
and  these  same  trees  are  yielding  their  annual 
crop  of  fruit.  The  summit  of  Olivet,  or  what 
was  called  the  Mount  of  Olives,  is  three  hundred 
feet  above  the  city,  and  commands  a  fine  view  of 
the  city  and  the  surrounding  country.  Every 
building  and  every  locality  can  be  clearly  dis 
tinguished.  Looking  eastward,  the  valley  of  the 
Jordan  and  that  of  the  Dead  Sea,  although 


60  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

twenty  miles  distant  and  about  four  thousand 
feet  below,  are  seen  so  distinctly  that  one  can 
hardly  believe  they  are  so  far  off.  The  surface  of 
the  Dead  Sea  is  the  lowest  point  on  the  face  of 
the  globe,  it  being  thirteen  hundred  and  twelve 
feet  below  the  Mediterranean  and  the  ocean,  and 
to  look  down  upon  it  from  the  Mount  of  Olives  is 
like  looking  down  into  the  depths  of  the  earth  it 
self.  The  Garden  of  Gethsemane  lies  along  the 
side  of  Olivet.  I  bought  a  bouquet  of  flowers, 
which  were  picked  for  me  while  there. 

During  my  stay  I  went  to  Bethlehem,  where  I 
saw  the  Church  of  Nativity.  It  is  a  beautiful 
structure,  and  occupies  the  place  where  our  Sav 
iour  is  said  to  have  been  born.  The  room  repre 
senting  the  manger  is  gorgeously  fitted  up,  and  is 
supposed  to  stand  on  the  spot  where  the  manger 
was  at  that  time.  I  also  visited  Bethany,  the 
Pool  of  Siloam,  the  fountain  of  the  Virgin  Mary, 
the  tombs  of  the  kings  and  the  prophets,  and 
every  other  place  in  and  about  the  city  known  in 
sacred  and  profane  history.  The  mode  of  con 
veyance  is  on  the  backs  of  donkeys,  there  being 
no  carriage  roads  in  Palestine,  excepting  the  one 
from  Joppa  to  Jerusalem,  and  that  is  a  very  poor 
one.  The  people  count  the  distance  here  by  the 
minutes  or  hours,  they  having  no  idea  of  miles, 
but  reckon  the  time  it  takes  the  donkey  to  travel 
that  distance.  The  population  of  Jerusalem  at 
the  present  time  is  about  thirty  thousand,  made 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  61 

up   of  nearly  every  nation   on    the   face  of  the 
globe.     The   largest  portion,  however,  is   Arabs, 
and  the  next  Jews.     I  met  an  American  crank 
there,  and  asked  him  what  he  was  doing,  and  his 
reply  was  that  he  was  waiting  for  the  second  com 
ing  of  Christ.     I  told  him  I  thought  he  was  fool 
ish    to    wait   there  any  longer,  for   I   thought  if 
Christ  should  come  a  second  time,  he  would  se 
lect  a  better  place.     The  crank  left  me  in  disgust, 
and  I  never  saw  him  after.     While  here  I  formed 
the  acquaintance  of  the  American  Consul  and  his 
wife,  a  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Merrill,  from  Massachusetts, 
whom  I  found  very  pleasant  people,  and  I  en 
joyed  several   visits   with    them,  besides  having 
had  the  pleasure  of  their  company  on  the  stage 
to  Joppa,  as  they  went  on  a  visit  to  that  place, 
also.     I  met  them  again,  some  two  weeks  later,  at 
Beyroot,  in  Syria,  I  having  gone  there  by  steamer 
from   Joppa.     I  went  from  Beyroot    by  stage  to 
Damascus,  passing  over  Mt.  Lebanon,  a  distance 
of  eighty  miles.     This  is  a  mountain  range  ex 
tending  from  northeast  to  southwest  nearly  one 
hundred  miles  in  length,  and  from  ten  to  twenty 
in  width.     It  has   an   elevation  of  about  seven 
thousand  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.     To  the 
east   of  this  mountain   is  another   range,  called 
And  Lebanon,  running  parallel  to  it.     Between 
these  two  is  a  valley  called  El  Bukar.     The  width 
of  this  valley  varies  from  twelve  to  twenty  miles. 
The  ancient  Orentes  River  runs  through  it.     And 


62 


LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 


the  River  Jordan  takes  its  rise  here.     The  view 
from  the  mountain  over  this  valley  is  very  pictur 
esque.      Extensive    groves    of    olive,    mulberry, 
orange,   lemon,   citron,  and  fig   trees   are    to   be 
seen  everywhere,  also  vineyards  and  grain  fields. 
The  cedars  of  Lebanon  are  mostly  things  of  the 
past,  there  being  but  a  few  of  them  left.     There 
are   numerous    towns   and   villages   along   these 
mountains,  and  they  are  inhabited   by  two  dis 
tinct  races,  known  as  the  Druses  and  the  Maron- 
ites.     There   are  also   Turks,  Greeks,  and   Jews, 
but  they  are  few,  and  do  not  form  an  important 
part  of  the  population.     Upon  making  an  appli 
cation  at  the  stage  office  for  a  seat  on  the  stage,  I 
found  all  the  seats  were  engaged  for  the  day  trips 
three  or  four  days  ahead,  so  I  was  compelled  to 
make  the  delightful  trip  by  night,  if  I  made  it  at 
all.     So  I  procured  a  ticket  for  the  evening  stage, 
leaving  Beyroot  at  five  p.  M.,  and  arriving  at  Da 
mascus  at  eight  o'clock  the  next  morning.     On 
taking   my  seat  in  the  coach    I  found   that  my 
traveling  companions  consisted  of  two  Arabs  as 
passengers  and  an  Arab  driver.     This,  I  can  as 
sure  you,  was  not  a  very  pleasant  position  to  be 
placed    in,  when   starting  out   on  an   all-night's 
journey  over   such  a  rough    country.     However, 
after  going  a  short  distance,  I  came  to  the  con 
clusion  that  my  fellow-travelers  were  perfect  gen 
tlemen,  and  would  have  been  splendid  company 
could  they  have  spoken  English.     As  it  was,  they 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  G3 

tried  to  talk  with  me,  and  every  now  and  then 
would  smile  and  shake  hands  with  me,  and  say, 
"Araba  Tie,"  which  I  afterwards  learned  meant 
in  English,  "good-morning."  Ahout  midnight 
we  arrived  at  Dier  el  Kamar,  a  little  less  than 
half  way  to  Damascus.  Here  I  was  informed 
that  I  could  get  something  to  eat,  and  I  lost  no 
time  in  taking  advantage  of  the  opportunity,  and 
had  the  pleasure  of  enjoying  as  fine  a  supper  as 
one  could  wish. 

Damascus,  the  Mohammedan  Paradise,  is  among 
the  oldest  cities  in  the  world,  and  the  only  one  of 
the  ancient  cities  that  has  never  been  destroyed. 
It  resisted  the  conquering  armies  of  King  David 
and  Solomon,  who  with  this  exception  reigned 
over  all  the  land  between  the  Jordan  and  Eu 
phrates  Rivers. 

The  city  is  beautifully  situated  on  a  plain  east 
of  the  Anti  Lebanon  Range,  about  eighty  miles 
from  Beyroot.  The  principal  street  of  the  city  is 
called  Strait.  It  has  been  known  by  that  name 
for  upwards  of  two  thousand  years  and  is  so  re 
corded  in  the  Bible.  It  runs  through  the  ba 
zaars,  and  extends  far  into  the  country,  with 
houses  built  on  both  sides  of  it.  The  bazaars  are 
very  extensive,  and  filled  with  the  finest  of  goods, 
such  as  carpets,  saddlery,  copperware,  curios, 
slippers,  Damascus  steel,  cutlery,  and  silver  and 
metal  works.  The  city  is  full  of  beggars,  who 
follow  the  strangers  up  with  their  pitiful  cry  for 


G4  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

backsheesh,  until  their  presence  becomes  unbear 
able.  But,  should  one  feel  charitably  disposed, 
and  give  to  a  few  of  them,  the  number  suddenly 
increases  to  so  many  that  it  would  take  a  small 
fortune  to  supply  them.  One  often  has  to  call  in 
the  assistance  of  an  officer  to  disperse  them,  so 
that  he  may  be  able  to  walk  in  peace.  But, 
even  then,  they  are  likely  to  meet  him  at  the  next 
corner  with  the  same  cry;  then  his  only  hope 
of  getting  rid  of  them  is  to  go  to  his  hotel,  and 
remain  there  until  they  leave,  to  hunt  up  some 
fresh  victim.  I  was  compelled  to  do  this  several 
times  during  my  stay  there.  Dogs  are  considered 
sacred  animals  in  Damascus,  also  in  Constantino 
ple,  and  all  the  Mohammedan  cities,  and,  in  con 
sequence,  the  streets  of  those  places  are  overrun 
with  them,  as  it  is  considered  a  sin  to  kill  them. 
They  seem  to  belong  to  no  one  in  particular,  and 
manage  to  live  on  what  they  pick  up  on  the 
streets,  until  they  die  of  old  age.  Sometimes  at 
night  they  gather  under  one's  window,  and  hold 
a  regular  concert  there,  which  they  continue  for 
hours  at  a  time,  and,  by  the  variety  of  voices,  one 
would  imagine  they  were  trying  to  play  the  opera 
of  Pinafore. 

The  plain  on  which  Damascus  stands  is  more 
than  fifty  miles  in  circuit,  covered  with  the  most 
beautiful  gardens  and  orchards,  forming  a  wav 
ing  grove,  rich  with  the  most  luxuriant  foliage 
and  luscious  fruits.  The  river  Abana  runs 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  65 

through  the  city.  It  is  a  rapid  stream,  and  is 
inclosed  by  walls  on  both  sides,  forming  a  canal, 
and  running  through  arches  under  the  city  for  a 
long  distance.  The  river  grows  smaller  as  it  ap 
proaches  the  city,  as  the  water  is  taken  out 
higher  up  the  stream  for  irrigation  of  thousands 
of  acres  of  rich  land,  and  hundreds  of  villages, 
as  well  as  the  whole  city  of  Damascus,  receive 
their  water  supply  from  it.  The  river  Jordan  be 
low  the  Sea  of  Galilee  waters  only  a  strip  of  jun 
gle.  As  a  work  of  engineering,  the  system  of  the 
canals  by  which  the  Albana  is  used  for  irrigation 
may  be  considered  as  the  most  complete  and  ex 
tensive  in  the  world.  On  my  return  to  Beyroot 
I  formed  the  acquaintance  of  a  Mr.  Dingley  and 
wife,  Americans  from  Maine,  and  had  the  pleas 
ure  of  traveling  witli  them  for  several  weeks. 
We  finally  parted  company  in  Italy,  near  Naples. 
They  went  to  Rome,  while  I  continued  my  jour 
ney  to  Naples.  Mr.  Dingley  is  the  proprietor  of 
the  Lewiston  Journal,  published  in  Lewiston, 
Maine.  I  found  him  one  of  the  jolliest  fellow's  I 
have  ever  met  with,  and  his  wife  was  equally 
charming  and  entertaining.  Leaving  Beyroot 
we  went  to  Larnaca,  island  of  Cypress,  and  then 
to  Smyrna.  Here  we  chartered  a  train  of  cars  to 
take  us  to  Ephesus,  the  old  historical  city,  now  in 
ruins.  The  distance  was  fifty  miles,  and  we  paid 
£10,  making  it  $1.00  per  mile  for  the  train. 

Ephesus  is  situated  in  the  province  of  Lydia,near 
5 


66  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS   OF 

the  mouth  of  the  river  Caystrus.  At  the  time  of 
Augustus  it  was  the  greatest  place  of  trade  of  all 
the  twelve  Ionic  cities  of  Asia  Minor.  It  was  in 
this  condition  at  the  time  it  was  visited  by  St. 
Paul,  who  resided  there  three  years.  Near  the 
west  end  of  the  town  are  found  some  massive 
structures,  which,  since  1868,  have  been  carefully 
excavated,  sometimes  as  much  as  eighteen  feet  be 
low  the  surface.  It  is  now  certain  that  these 
stand  on  the  site  of  the  famous  Temple  of  Diana, 
one  of  the  seven  wonders  of  the  world.  This  im 
mense  building  was  once  destroyed  but  was  re 
built  in  greater  splendor  than  before.  It  was  the 
largest  Greek  temple  ever  constructed.  Its  length 
was  four  hundred  and  twenty-five  feet,  and  its 
width  two  hundred  and  twenty  feet.  It  had  one 
hundred  and  twenty-eight  columns,  thirty-six  of 
which  were  finely  carved  of  solid  marble,  and 
were  sixty  feet  high.  Ephesus  stood  on  a  plain 
broken  by  hills  that  were  high,  but  easy  of  as 
cent.  Probably  all  or  most  of  the  public  build 
ing  stood  on  the  summits  of  these  hills,  while  the 
lower  grounds  were  occupied  with  dwellings  and 
shops.  There  is  no  reason  to  doubt  that  this  was 
a  noble  city,  some  two  or  three  thousand  years 
ago,  but  now  there  is  not  one  single  human  habi 
tation  within  the  ancient  city.  Everything  is  in 
ruins,  and  the  whole  area  is  strewn  with  frag 
ments  of  marble  columns.  We  returned  to 
Smyrna  in  season  to  take  the  next  steamer  en 
route  to  Constantinople. 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  67 

Our  trip  to  Constantinople  was  very  pleasant 
and  full  of  interest.  After  passing  through  the 
Dardanelles  we  landed  at  the  historical  islands 
of  Rhodes  and  Patmos.  The  latter  place  is  where 
the  Apostle  John  was  banished  by  the  Romans, 
and  where  he  saw  the  vision  which  caused  him  to 
write  the  "Revelations"  recorded  in  sacred  his 
tory.  Constantinople  is  the  capital  of  Turkey, 
and  is  a  city  of  strange  contrasts.  Like  the  city 
of  Canton,  distance  lends  a  charm.  While  ap 
proaching  it,  we  were  delighted  at  the  sight  of  its 
marble  palaces,  tall  towers,  beautiful  gardens,  and 
magnificent  mosques  in  every  direction.  But 
when  you  enter  the  city,  these  attractions  seem  to 
vanish.  The  streets  are  narrow  and  dirty,  and 
alive  with  dogs,  while  the  dwellings  and  shops 
are  cheap,  frail  structures.  The  city  stretches 
over  plain,  valley,  and  hill  on  either  side  of  the 
Bosphorus,  as  far  as  the  eye  can  see.  The  por 
tion  south  of  the  Golden  Horn  and  west  of  the 
Bosphorus  is  known  as  Stamboul,  while  that  por 
tion  north  and  west  of  the  Bosphorus  is  known  as 
Pera.  The  portion  which  occupies  the  eastern 
bank  is  known  as  Scutari.  Yet  Stamboul,  Pera, 
and  Scutari  are  all  included  in  the  one  great  and 
noble  city  of  Constantinople.  The  sea  at  this 
place  is  a  highway  of  commerce  and  a  pleasure 
lake  combined.  Although  it  divides  the  city,  it 
is  not  forced  out  by  wharves,  docks,  or  piers  on 
either  side.  You  will  find  people  in  Constantino- 


68  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

pie  of  every  nationality  from  the  three  great  con 
tinents,  Europe,  Asia,  and  Africa,  and  when  stand 
ing  on  the  bridge  of  the  Sultana  Valide,  which 
connects   Stamboul  with    Galata   and    Pera,  you 
will  see  people  of  all  nations  and  all  grades,  from 
the  gorgeous  pasha  to   the  beggars  in  filth  and 
rags.     It  is  a  moving  panorama,  such  as  is  seen 
in  no  other  city  under  the  sun.     It  is  composed 
of  Turks,  Greeks,  Cossacks,  Moors,  Jews,   Egyp 
tians,   Caucasians,   Syrians,   Tartars,   Hottentots, 
French  dandies,  and  half  nude  negroes.     The  va 
rious  costumes  are  of  all  colors  and  styles,  from 
that  of  Adam  to  the  latest  Parisian  fashion.     The 
principal  street  is  the  grand  Rue  de  Pera.     It  is 
long  and  so  narrow  that  two  carriages  can  scarcely 
go  abreast.    It  has  no  sidewalks,  and  men,  women, 
horses,  camels,  carriages,  and  dogs  mingle  pro 
miscuously  in  the  middle  of  the  street.     Some  of 
the   people   are  very   poor.      Beggars   infest   the 
streets  by  day,  and  robbers  infest  them  at  night. 
The  Mohammedan  women  always  conceal  their 
faces  when  on  the  street,  and  the  wife  occupies  a 
different  part  of  the  house  from  that  of  her  hus 
band,  not  even  taking  their  meals  together,  and 
they  never  meet  except  when  he  chooses  to  pay 
her  a  visit.     On  our  voyage  to  Constantinople  we 
had  among  our  passengers  a  Turkish  judge  and 
his  four  wives.     The  wives  were  not  allowed  to 
occupy  staterooms,  nor   to   eat  at  the  table,  but 
had    to  sleep   on   deck,  with  nothing  but  their 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  69 

shawls   for   beds.     Their   meals   were   served   to 
them  on  deck  by  the  steward.     Not  so  with  their 
liege  lord   and   master,  however,  for  he  had   his 
stateroom,  and  took  his  meals  at  the  table  with 
the  rest  of  the  passengers.     A  Turk  is  allowed  to 
have  seven   wives,  if  he  can  support  them.     At 
their  homes  they  are  mere  toys  of  their  husband, 
and  live  in  constant  dread  of  being  supplanted 
by  a  younger  and  fairer  rival.     While  I  was  in 
the   city,  I  took  a  trip   up   the  Bosphorus  on  a 
small  steamer.     Our  landings  were  made  first  on 
the  Asiatic  side,  and  then  on  the  European  side 
and   vice  versa,  until  we  were    nearly  up    to  the 
Black  Sea.     It  took  just  five  minutes  to  make  the 
trip  from  one  side  to  the  other.     At  the  end  of 
the  route  I  left  the  steamer,  and  started  to  climb 
a  high  hill,  which  would  have  afforded  me  a  fine 
view  of  the  Black  Sea  and  the  surrounding  coun 
try,  but  the  weather  was  so  hot  I  had  to  give  it 
up.     I  sat  down  to  rest  on  a  small  elevation  over 
looking  a  large  Turkish  fort.     While  sitting  there 
the  commander  of  the  fort  saw  me,  and,  thinking 
I  was  afraid  to  proceed  farther  on  account  of  rob 
bers  who   infest   that   region,  kindly   sent   three 
armed  men  from  the  fort  to  escort  me  to  the  top 
of  the  hill;  but,  after  I  explained  to  them  through 
my   guide    my  reason    for   not   proceeding,    and 
thanked  them  for  their  kindness,  they  returned 
to   the   fort.      The   Turkish    soldiers   are  poorly 
dressed  and  very  poorly  paid,  receiving  only  ten 


70  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

cents  per  day,  and  they  are  lucky  if  they  get  that, 
as  the  government  is  often  in  arrears  in  keeping 
them  paid  up.  I  had  a  great  desire  to  see  the 
sultan,  so  my  guide  led  me  to  where  I  could  see 
him  as  he  passed  on  his  way  to  the  mosque. 
This  was  on  Friday,  that  being  their  Sabbath  in 
stead  of  Sunday.  We  met  with  some  difficulty, 
however,  for,  on  arriving  at  the  vicinity  of  the 
mosque,  we  found  that  an  armed  guard  had  taken 
possession  of  the  street  leading'from  the  palace  to 
the  mosque,  and  no  one  was  allowed  to  stand  on 
the  street.  But  as  we  had  come  there  for  the  ex 
press  purpose  of  seeing  him,  we  found  a  party 
who  was  willing  to  let  us  stay  in  his  store  until 
the  sultan  had  passed,  for  the  modest  sum  of  a 
mageda,  a  Turkish  dollar.  The  distance  from' 
the  palace  to  the  mosque  was  about  a  half  a  mile. 
The  guard  was  composed  of  several  regiments  of 
soldiers,  reaching  the  entire  distance.  The  sultan 
rode  by  in  a  carriage,  and  remained  at  the 
mosque  an  hour.  After  returning  to  the  palace, 
the  guard  formed  into  companies  and  marched  to 
their  barracks.  They  made  a  fine  display  dressed 
in  their  gaudy  uniforms.  One  of  the  great  sights 
to  be  seen  in  Constantinople  is  the  Turkish  ba 
zaar,  which  is  the  largest  of  its  kind  in  the  world. 
It  is  situated  in  Stamboul,  and  occupies  several 
blocks,  all  under  one  roof,  aud  having  narrow 
streets  running  through  it,  used  by  pedestrians 
only.  In  passing  through,  one  will  hear  noise 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  71 

and  confusion  in  as  many  different  languages  as 
must  have  been  heard  at  the  building  of  the 
tower  of  Babel.  Another  interesting  thing  to  be 
seen  there  is  the  mosque  of  St.  Sophia.  It  is  the 
only  one  in  that  city  open  to  Christian  visitors. 
It  is  supposed  to  contain  the  tombs  of  the 
Emperor  Constantine  and  his  mother,  the  Em 
press  Helena.  The  walls  are  composed  of  rich 
mosaics,  around  which  are  Arabic  inscriptions 
from  the  Koran  written  in  letters  of  gold.  The 
vast  galleries  are  supported  by  stately  columns  of 
green  granite,  and  the  large  dome,  which  is  lighted 
at  night  by  ten  thousand  burning  candles,  rises 
high  above  the  city.  It  was  erected  in  the  fifth 
century,  and  is  the  only  rival  of  St.  Peter's  at 
Rome. 

From  Constantinople  I  went  to  Athens,  and 
visited  both  the  ancient  and  modern  cities.  The 
seaport  of  Athens  is  Pineus.  The  distance  to 
Athens  is  four  miles,  and  the  road  leads  between 
hills  and  groves  of  olives.  The  Acropolis  remains 
constantly  in  sight,  but  the  city  of  Athens  does 
not  come  in  view  until  one  gets  close  to  it.  The 
ancient  city  is  situated  on  a  rocky  hill  which 
rises  from  the  middle  of  a  plain.  The  upper  part 
was  called  the  Acropolis,  and  the  lower  part  the 
Katapolis.  Nothing  remains  now  but  a  part  of 
the  fortress  of  the  once  renowned  Acropolis  on 
the  hill,  which  boasted  the  finest  work  of  Athe 
nian  art.  Its  principal  ornament  was  the  temple 


72  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

of  Minerva,  the  Parthenon,  which  in  its  present 
condition  is  the  admiration  of  the  world.  It  was 
two  hundred  and  fifteen  feet  long,  ninety-seven 
feet  broad,  and  seventy  feet  high.  In  it  stood  the 
gold  and  ivory  statue  of  Minerva  by  Phidias. 
Fifty-five  columns  still  remain  at  the  entrance  to 
the  temple,  and  some  enormous  blocks  of  marble 
are  resting  upon  them.  Of  the  temple  of  Nep 
tune  some  beautiful  fragments  are  still  to  be  seen, 
and  it  is  easy  to  trace  the  circuit  of  the  amphi 
theater.  Outside  the  Acropolis  lie  the  temples  of 
Thesus  and  Olympian  Jupiter,  one  on  the  north 
and  the  other  on  the  south  side.  The  first  is  of 
Doric  structure,  and  surrounded  by  thirty-six  fine 
pillars.  The  interior  is  full  of  beautiful  sculpture. 
Outside  the  temple  stand  several  marble  seats 
brought  from  the  neighboring  Areopagus.  Of 
this  nothing  more  is  left  than  a  chamber  hewn  in 
the  rock,  to  which  a  flight  of  steps,  also  cut  in  the 
rock,  leads.  Of  the  temple  of  Olympian  Jupiter, 
enough  of  the  formation  wall  is  left  to  show  its 
proportions,  as  well  as  its  magnificent  columns, 
fifty-eight  feet  in  height.  This  temple  was  the 
most  superb  building  in  Athens.  The  exterior 
was  adorned  with  one  hundred  and  twenty  fluted 
columns,  fifty-nine  feet  in  height  and  six  feet  in 
diameter.  All  three  temples  were  built  of  the 
finest  white  marble.  Not  far  from  the  Areopagus 
is  the  Pugx,  where  the  free  people  of  Athens  were 
accustomed  to  debate.  All  that  remains  of  it  now 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  73 

is  the  rostrum  and  the  seats,  which  are  cut  out  of 
the  rock.  Not  far  from  this  is  the  rocky  prison 
where  Socrates  drank  the  poison.  Mars  Hill, 
where  St.  Paul  stood  when  he  spoke  to  the  people 
of  Athens,  is  also  near  this  place.  It  is  a  small 
rocky  mound,  steep  on  either  side.  Steps  are  cut 
in  the  rock  so  that  people  can  ascend  to  the  top. 
I  had  the  pleasure  of  standing  on  the  very  spot 
where  the  Apostle  Paul  was  supposed  to  have 
stood. 

After  leaving  this  place  we  went  to  the  island  of 
Corfu,  one  of  the  many  islands  in  the  Grecian 
Archipelago,  and  thence  across  the  Adriatic  Sea 
to  Brindisi,  Italy,  where  we  went  by  sail  to  Na 
ples.  It  was  near  there  I  took  my  leave  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Dingley,  they  going  to  Rome  instead.  1 
regretted  very  much  to  part  with  them,  but  I 
promised  to  pay  them  a  visit  at  their  home  in 
Lewiston,  Maine,  on  my  return  to  America.  I 
kept  my  promise  a  year  afterwards,  having  a  de 
lightful  visit  in  my  two  days'  stay  with  them. 

The  city  of  Naples  is  beautifully  situated  on  the 
Bay  of  Naples.  Nature  has  done  as  much  for 
this  city  as  for  any  in  the  world.  It  rises  as  an  am 
phitheater  from  the  shores  of  the  sea  to  the  top  of 
the  surrounding  hills,  forming  a  panorama  of  such 
varying  beauty  that  one  could  gaze  forever,  and 
never  tire  of  the  sight.  On  the  east  rises  Vesu 
vius  in  solitary  and  awful  grandeur,  while  the 
villages  of  Massa,  St.  Sebastian,  Pollena,  and 


74  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

other  small  towns  are  scattered  on  its  sides.  Tak 
ing  a  guide,  I  went  to  the  top  of  Mt.  Vesuvius. 
It  was  belching  forth  smoke  and  lava,  and  my 
guide  got  me  a  piece  of  red-hot  lava,  from  which 
I  lighted  my  cigar.  Pieces  of  lava  are  continually 
thrown  from  the  crater  high  in  the  air,  and  after 
falling  to  the  surface,  and  while  yet  soft,  the 
guides  frequently  press  pieces  of  coin  into  them. 
After  it  lias  cooled  off  the  coin  is  found  to  he 
firmly  imbedded  in  the  lava.  These  they  sell  to 
tourists  as  souvenirs  of  Vesuvius.  The  crater  is 
now  easily  reached.  We  took  a  conveyance  and 
rode  to  within  a  short  distance  of  the  summit, 
where  we  took  an  elevated  railway  car,  which 
runs  very  nearly  to  the  top  by  means  of  an  end 
less  wire  rope  at  an  angle  of  about  45°.  This 
railroad  is  nine  hundred  yards  long,  and  is  thir 
teen  hundred  feet  higher  at  the  upper  end  than  at 
the  lower.  The  cars  can  cany  twenty  persons  at 
a  trip.  At  the  terminus  of  the  road,  a  short  walk 
brought  us  to  the  crater.  It  is  a  wild-looking 
place.  Thick  smoke  keeps  issuing  from  the  deep 
cracks  here  and  there,  and  at  times  it  is  almost 
stifling.  Some  of  the  openings  are  two  and  three 
feet  wide,  and  by  looking  into  them  we  could  see 
twenty  or  thirty  feet  down.  The  air  is  hot  enough 
in  some  places  to  easily  roast  eggs.  The  old  crater 
is  now  almost  filled  up,  and  is  forty  or  fifty  rods 
distant  from  the  present  one.  Beds  of  lava  are 
scattered  all  over  the  sides  of  the  mountain,  hav- 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  75 

ing  been  belched  forth  from  time  to  time.  The 
lava  is  piled  up  forty  and  fifty  feet  high  in  some 
places.  The  first  eruption  of  Vesuvius,  on  record, 
took  place  in  the  year  79,  which  destroyed,  with 
other  villages,  the  cities  of  Herculaneum,  Pompeii, 
and  Stabia.  These  were  buried  for  seventeen  hun 
dred  years,  and  were  only  discovered  by  chance. 
Until  the  year  1500,  history  records  nine  eruptions, 
and  since  then  there  have  been  forty-eight  very  se 
vere  ones.  One  of  the  most  terrible  was  that  of  the 
16th  of  December,  1631,  in  which  three  thousand 
persons  perished, and  several  towns  were  destroyed. 
From  that  time  up  to  1872  there  have  been  eleven 
large  ones.  The  last  one  occurred  on  the  26th 
of  April,  1872,  and  lasted  several  days,  offering 
scenes  of  horror  and  devastation.  About  fifty 
visitors  perished,  among  whom  were  eight  med 
ical  students.  More  than  forty  thousand  persons 
fled  from  Naples  to  escape  its  terrible  fury.  This 
frightful  eruption  has  left  a  sad  memory  in  the 
minds  of  all  who  were  unfortunate  enough  to 
have  witnessed  it. 

I  also  visited  the  ruins  of  Pompeii.  It  lies 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  mountain  from 
Naples.  A  large  area  of  this  ancient  city  has 
been  dug  out,  and  one  can  walk  through 
streets  and  squares  twenty  feet  below  the  sur 
face.  Some  of  the  buildings  are  two  stories 
high,  and  in  a  fine  state  of  preservation.  They 
are  vacant,  however,  as  all  the  contents  have  been 


76  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

removed  and  distributed  among  the  different 
museums  of  the  world.  On  some  of  the  walls  and 
ceilings  I  saw  some  of  the  finest  fresco  paintings 
I  have  ever  seen,  and  the  sculpture  work  is  also 
very  fine.  A  small  force  of  men  are  constantly 
digging  out  the  old  city,  the  material  taken  out 
being  used  to  fill  in  the  low  lands.  This  work  is 
done  by  the  Station  Government.  All  visitors  are 
charged  three  francs(sixty  cents)  for  admission,  and 
are  furnished  a  guide  who  speaks  the  language  of 
the  visitor.  This  makes  it  all  the  more  interest 
ing,  as  the  guide  points  out  all  places  of  interest, 
and  explains  the  rank  each  building  held  in  the 
time  of  its  glory.  History  points  to  this  city  as 
having  been  founded  600  years  B.  c.,  by  a  Stabian 
colony.  The  Romans  made  it  a  retreat  from  the 
noise  and  tumult  of  Rome.  It  was  a  fine  city  of 
about  thirty  thousand  inhabitants.  It  was  built  at 
the  southern  base  of  Vesuvius,  at  the  end  of  a 
promontory  near  the  mouth  of  the  river  Sarno,and 
having  the  sea  on  both  sides.  We  find  in  history 
that,  in  the  year  59,  a  quarrel  broke  out,  during 
the  combats  of  gladiators  in  the  amphitheater, 
between  those  of  Pompeii  and  the  Norcerines,  in 
which  many  of  the  latter  were  killed.  The  peo 
ple  of  Norcera  applied  to  Nero,  who  laid  the  case 
before  the  senate,  who  suspended  all  public  spec 
tacles  in  Pompeii  for  ten  years. 

In  the  year  63  it  was  partly  ruined  by  an  earth 
quake.    The  terrified  inhabitants  fled  from  the  city, 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  77 

but  soon  returned,  and  Pompeii  was  recovering  its 
past  splendor,  when,  on  the  23d  of  August,  in  the 
year  79,  the  dreadful  eruption  of  Vesuvius  broke 
out,  and  continued  for  three  days,  pouring  out  tor 
rents  of  inflammable  matter,  pumice  stone,  boiling 
water,  and  ashes.     The  wooden  roofs  of  the  houses 
were   burned,  or   sunk   in,  under   the  weight  of 
accumulated   matter.     Very   few  skeletons   have 
been  found,  which   goes  to  show  that  the  most  of 
the  inmates  had  time  to  escape.     Some  even  re 
turned,  dug  into  their  houses,  and   took  all  the 
things  of  value  that  they  could  carry.     Pompeii 
was  covered  with  a  stratum  of  earth,  pumice  stone, 
and  ashes  to  the  depth  of  about  twenty  feet.     The 
excavations  were  begun  on  the  1st  of  April,  1784, 
under  Charles  the  Third.     The  first  objects  of  art 
were  discovered  by  some  countrymen   who  were 
digging  near  the  spot.     The  walls  were  discovered 
in    1814.     The  city  had  been   surrounded    by  a 
double   wall  varying  from  twenty-five  to   thirty 
feet  in  height.     At  stated  distances  are  to  be  seen 
the   ruins   of  towers.     All  but   two  of  the  gates 
were  entirely  destroyed.     The  streets  are  straight 
and  very  narrow.     The  tracks  of  the  wheel  are 
still  visible  in  the  pavement.     The  streets  are  all 
paved   with    lava,    having  a  raised    footpath    on 
each  side.     Public  fountains  were  placed  at  the 
entrances  of  the  principal  streets.     All  this  wealth 
and  splendor  were  swept  away  in  less  time  than  it 
takes  to  write  about  it.     On  my  return  to  Naples, 


78  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

I  visited  the  king's  palace,  the  National  Museum, 
and  several  other  places  of  note,  and  then  con 
tinued  my  journey  to  the  "Eternal  City,"  Rome. 

Naples  is  three  thousand  years  old,  and  was 
founded  by  the  Greeks  before  Rome  was  ever 
thought  of.  It  is  the  largest  city  in  Italy,  con 
taining  about  five  hundred  thousand  inhabitants. 
But  the  interior  of  the  city  is  far  from  being 
beautiful,  nor  does  it  contain  any  great  monu 
ments  of  antiquity,  and  in  many  respects  it  is  a 
disagreeable  place  to  be  in.  The  streets  are  dirty, 
narrow,  crooked,  and  very  noisy.  Many  of  the 
people  are  poorly  dressed,  and  beggars  are  numer 
ous.  Crime,  vice,  and  debauchery  have  left  their 
marks  upon  many  of  the  faces.  During  my  stay 
there  when  wishing  to  take  a  walk  through  the 
city,  I  was  cautioned  before  leaving  the  hotel  to 
beware  of  pickpockets,  and,  in  consequence,  was 
ever  on  the  lookout.  The  situation  of  the  city  is 
very  picturesque.  It  has  a  mild  climate,  and  the 
surrounding  country  is  very  fruitful. 

My  journey  from  Naples  to  Rome  took  seven 
hours  by  rail,  all  of  which  time  I  spent  in  antic 
ipating  and  realizing  the  beauties  of  the  scenery. 
It  is  useless  for  me  to  try  to  enumerate  all  the 
places  and  objects  of  interest  both  ancient  and 
modern  to  be  seen  in  and  around  Rome.  There 
is  the  Vatican,  the  Capitol,  the  ancient  and  modern 
palaces,  the  Colosseum,  the  churches,  which  are 
also  repositories  of  art,  the  seven  hills,  the  Apian 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  79 

Way,  the  Suburbs,  Albano  Prascati,  and  a  thousand 
ruins,  all  of  which  have  their  classic  history. 
There  is  no  other  city  in  Europe  where  a  traveler 
can  tarry  so  long  and  find  so  much  of  interest. 
The  modern  city  is  a  beautiful  place,  full  of  plazas, 
gardens,  parks,  and  fine  buildings.  St.  Peter's 
Church  and  the  Vatican  palace  are  among  the  most 
noted  places  in  modern  Rome.  The  Vatican  is  the 
residence  of  the  pope.  It  is  a  collection  of  build 
ings  on  one  of  the  seven  hills,  which  covers  a  space 
twelve  hundred  feet  in  length  and  one  hundred 
feet  in  breadth.  It  is  built  on  the  spot  once  occu 
pied  by  the  garden  of  Nero.  The  Vatican  is  filled 
with  statues  found  beneath  the  ruins  of  ancient 
Rome.  The  walls  hold  paintings  from  the  great 
est  masters,  and  curios,  medals,  and  antiquities  of 
every  description  are  to  be  seen  there.  Seventy 
thousand  statues  from  the  ruined  temples  and 
palaces  of  Rome  have  been  exhumed,  which  fact 
will  give  some  idea  of  the  size  and  richness  of  the 
Vatican. 

St.  Peter's  Church  is  the  largest  of  its  kind  in 
the  world.  It  is  six  hundred  and  eight  feet  in 
length,  the  height  of  the  nave  is  one  hundred  and 
fifty  feet,  and  the  length  of  the  transept  is  four 
hundred  and  fifty  feet.  The  height  of  the  dome 
from  the  pavement  to  the  summit  inside  is  four 
hundred  and  five  feet,  and  from  the  pavement  to 
the  top  of  the  cross  outside  is  four  hundred  and 
thirty-five  feet.  The  high  altar  stands  directly 


80  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

beneath  the  dome,  and  is  a  most  expensive  struc 
ture.  It  is  said  to  stand  directly  over  the  grave  of 
St.  Peter.  The  canopy  over  it  is  solid  bronze,  and 
is  said  to  have  cost  one  hundred  and  ten  thousand 
dollars.  The  church  contains  many  fine  statues 
and  paintings.  The  cost  of  the  building  was 
over  sixty  million  dollars.  The  semicircular  col 
onnades  are  composed  of  two  hundred  and  eighty 
immense  columns,  inclosing  an  area  which  is 
beautifully  ornamented.  There  are  not  many  of 
the  ancient  buildings  left.  The  colosseum,  which 
is  partly  in  ruins,  was  a  massive  structure  in  its 
day.  It  had  the  capacity  of  seating  upwards  of 
seventy  thousand  persons.  When  Rome  was  in 
its  glory,  this  immense  building  was  often  filled 
to  its  utmost  to  witness  the  combats  between 
gladiators  and  wild  beasts,  as  well  as  to  fence  with 
each  other  with  sharp  swords,  in  which  case, 
should  one  disarm  the  other,  and  have  him  at  his 
mercy,  the  victor  would  look  up  to  the  audience, 
and,  if  their  sympathies  were  with  the  armed  one, 
and  they  wished  to  have  his  victim  killed,  they 
would  signify  it  by  pointing  their  thumbs  upward, 
while,  on  the  other  hand,  if  they  wished  the  life 
of  the  disarmed  one  to  be  spared,  they  would  point 
their  thumbs  downward. 

The  Pantheon,  the  pride  of  Koine,  and  one  of 
the  wonders  of  the  world,  is  the  oldest,  yet  the 
best  preserved  building  in  that  city.  It  is  the 
only  temple  still  standing,  which  Paul  saw  as  he 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  81 

entered  the  city  of  his  martyrdom.  It  stands  in 
Plaza  Delia  Rotunda.  Its  interior  consists  of  one 
immense  circular  room  one  hundred  and  forty- 
three  feet  in  diameter  and  one  hundred  and 
forty-three  feet  in  height.  This  measurement 
does  not  include  the  walls,  which  are  twenty  feet 
in  thickness.  By  an  inscription  on  the  portico, 
we  learn  that  the  Pantheon  was  built  by  Agrippa, 
the  son-in-law  of  Augustus  Caesar,  twenty-seven 
years  before  the  birth  of  Christ,  which  makes  it 
a  century  older  than  the  Colosseum.  From  the 
time  of  Augustus  to  that  of  Constantine  it  was  a 
celebrated  heathen  temple.  It  was  afterwards 
changed  from  paganism  to  popery,  and  dedicated 
to  the  Virgin  Mary  and  the  martyrs.  It  is  now, 
like  Westminster  Abbey,  in  London,  used  for  the 
tombs  of  the  noted  dead.  It  is  here  that  Victor 
Emanuel  lies  in  his  last  resting  place.  His  son, 
the  present  king  of  Italy,  visited  the  tomb  while 
I  was  there. 

From  Rome  I  went  to  Florence,  noted  for  its 
famous  art  gallery,  containing  the  choicest  speci 
mens  of  painting  and  sculpture  known;  it  is 
also  the  birthplace  of  Americus  Vespucius.  I 
had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  some  of  the  most  mag 
nificent  works  of  art  the  world  has  ever  produced. 
I  saw  tables  the  tops  of  which  were  made  en 
tirely  of  precious  stones  in  mosaic  work,  and 
valued  at  millions  of  dollars.  I  visited  the  tombs 
of  the  Medici  family,  the  walls  of  which  are 
studded  with  costly  jewels  and  precious  stones. 
6 


82  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

I  next  visited  Venice,  the  city  of  canals.  I  cannot 
imagine  a  more  beautiful  scene  than  Venice  by 
moonlight.  The  canals  are  then  swarming  with 
gondolas,  in  the  cool  of  the  evening,  and  music, 
both  vocal  and  instrumental,  is  heard  everywhere. 
All  through  my  travels  I  never  met  with  a  more 
contented  or  happy  people  than  those  of  Venice. 
The  city  is  considered  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
in  the  world.  It  was  built  on  marshy  islands, 
seventy-two  in  number,  and  these  islands  are  sub 
divided  by  one  hundred  and  forty-nine  canals, 
over  which  are  about  three  hundred  and  sixty 
bridges.  The  houses  are  mostly  built  of  brick 
and  covered  with  plaster,  ornamented  in  front  by 
a  covering  of  white  marble.  They  are  generally 
so  situated  as  to  have  a  communication  with  a 
canal  by  means  of  a  landing  stair  in  the  water,  of 
which  almost  every  family  plies  a  gondola.  The 
gondolas  are  used  to  carry  passengers  from  one 
part  of  the  city  to  another,  answering  the  purpose 
of  our  street  cars  here.  They  are  propelled  by 
two  oarsmen,  called  gondoliers.  Before  Venice 
was  built,  the  people  on  the  mainland  were  con 
siderably  troubled  by  bandits,  who  came  down 
from  the  Alps  and  stole  the  crops  which  had  been 
stored  away  for  the  winter's  support.  So,  in  order 
to  protect  themselves  from  these  lawless  fellows, 
the  people  built  their  houses  on  these  little  islands, 
and  as  they  grew  to  be  stronger  they  united  into 
one  city  for  their  mutual  defense  and  benefit. 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  83 

When  looking  at  the  city  from  a  distance,  it 
seems  to  be  floating  on  the  water.  It  is  divided 
into  two  unequal  parts  by  the  Grand  Canal,  which 
runs  through  it,  varyingjin  breadth  from  one  hun 
dred  to  one  hundred  and  eighty  feet.  This  canal 
has  several  small  steamers  plying  up  and  down  it 
for  the  accommodation  of  the  people.  One  of  the 
principal  sights  to  be  seen  is  the  historic  bell  of 
St.  Marco.  This  is  a  wonderful  church,  but  it  is 
beyond  my  ability  to  give  a  description  of  it.  It 
must  be  seen  to  be  appreciated.  Venice  is  in  a 
fair  way  of  becoming  one  of  the  most  important 
manufacturing  cities  in  Italy.  One  of  the  great 
industries  is  glass  making.  They  employ  fifteen 
thousand  people  for  bead  making  alone.  They 
also  do  a  large  business  in  glass  blowing,  mosaic, 
and  colored  enamels.  Some  of  the  almost  lost 
arts  have  been  revived,  among  them  artistic  cast 
ings  in  metal,  and  lace  making.  The  former  now 
has  thirteen  factories  busily  engaged,  and  the 
latter  gives  employment  to  some  three  thousand 
women.  They  also  make  imitations  of  antique 
furniture  in  ebony  and  ivory,  but  instead  of  using 
these  costly  materials  they  use  pear  wood  and 
bone  with  very  satisfactory  results. 

Leaving  Venice  I  went  to  Milan,  and  thence  to 
Basle,  in  Switzerland.  In  Milan  I  visited  the 
cathedral,  one  of  the  finest  churches  in  Europe, 
noted  for  its  ornamental  architecture.  The  city 
is  built  after  the  modern  style,  and  resembles  some 


84  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

of  our  best-built  American  cities.  It  is  also  noted 
for  its  musical  conservatories.  I  next  went  by  the 
way  of  the  St.  Gothard  Railway  to  the  Italian 
lakes,  where  I  had  a  chance  to  see  the  beautiful 
historical  Lake  Como,  which  Claude  Melnotte  pic 
tured  so  vividly  to  his  prospective  bride. 

The  St.  Gothard  Railway,  passing  over  the  Alps, 
is  the  most  remarkable  piece  of  railroad  engineer 
ing  in  the  world.  It  was  finished  in  1882,  having 
taken  ten  years  for  its  completion.  It  was  built 
by  the  governments  of  Germany,  Italy,  and  Swit 
zerland,  each  furnishing  a  stipulated  sum  of  money 
towards  it.  The  total  cost  was  nearly  fifty  millions 
of  dollars.  To  enable  the  men  to  build  the  road, 
four  cross  lines  had  to  be  built  right  in  the  heart  of 
the  mountain,  in  order  to  approach  the  main  tun 
nel,  which  is  nine  and  a  quarter  miles  in  length. 
As  the  grades  were  so  steep,  tunnels  had  to  be  cut 
in  the  sides  of  the  mountains,  and  the  road  forms 
a  complete  circle  in  the  rock,  something  like  an  im 
mense  corkscrew.  After  coming  out  of  the  tunnel, 
one  can  look  down  a  hundred  feet  below,  and  see 
the  part  of  the  track  we  were  on  just  before  we  en 
tered  the  tunnel.  There  are  four  places,  each  hav 
ing  two  such  tunnels,  on  this  road,  and  when  the 
train  curved  the  last  time,  you  can  see  from  the 
car  window  two  other  tracks,  one  below  the  other, 
which  the  train  had  just  a  short  time  before  passed 
over. 

There   are   on  this  line   fifty-four   tunnels   in 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  85 

all,  but  the  St.  Gothard  is  the  largest  in  the  world. 
It  is  nine  and  a  quarter  miles  long,  eight  feet 
broad,  and  twenty- one  feet  high.  It  contains  a 
double  track,  and  is  lined  with  masonry  through 
out.  It  took  eight  years  to  bore  it,  and  cost  about 
thirteen  million  dollars.  The  boring  machines 
were  worked  by  compressed  air.  The  Castlehorn 
rises  six  thousand  and  seventy-six  feet  above  the 
center  of  it,  and  Salla  Lake  rises  three  thousand 
three  hundred  and  fifty  feet  above.  The  moun 
tain  scenery  to  be  seen  while  riding  over  that  road 
is  grand.  I  have  been  up  in  the  Green  Mountains 
of  Vermont,  the  White  Mountains  of  New  Hamp 
shire,  the  Alleghany,  Rocky,  and  the  Sierra  Ne 
vada,  but  this  rivals  them  all  in  wildness  and 
grandeur.  After  reaching  the  top,  we  descended 
in  the  same  manner. 

The  road  winds  along  the  shore  of  Lake  Lu 
cerne  for  quite  a"  distance,  affording  a  fine  view 
of  either  side,  and  one  can  see  peak  rising  above 
peak  of  the  neighboring  mountains,  in  countless 
numbers.  Lake  Lucerne  is  a  beautiful  body  of 
water,  noted  for  its  magnificent  scenery.  Its  great 
est  length  is  twenty-three  miles,  lying  somewhat 
in  the  form  of  a  cross.  Mt.  Rigi  is  in  this  neigh 
borhood,  and  an  elevated  railroad  has  been  con 
structed  to  the  top.  The  cars  are  propelled  by 
cog  wheels,  running  in  cogs  in  the  center  of  the 
track.  This  road  is  built  similar  to  the  one  run 
ning  to  the  top  of  Mt.  Washington,  in  New 
Hampshire. 


86  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS. 

After  leaving  the  lake,  we  stopped  within  a 
short  distance  of  the  town  of  Altorf.  This  is  the 
place  of  the  traditional  scene  of  William  Tell,  the 
liberator  of  Switzerland  from  the  Austrian  yoke. 
A  colossal  statue  of  Tell,  erected  in  1861,  is  said  to 
occupy  the  spot  where  the  intrepid  archer  aimed 
at  the  apple  placed  on  the  head  of  his  son  by  the 
tyrant,  Gesler.  It  is  said  that  the  lime  tree  where 
his  son  stood,  lived  till  1567.  The  ride  from  Lu 
cerne  to  Basle  is  very  pleasant.  Here  and  there 
a  castle,  or  the  ruins  of  one,  comes  to  view  from 
the  highest  points,  as  we  rapidly  pass  along. 

We  saw  many  women  working  out  in  the  fields? 
taking  the  place  of  the  men,  while  here  in  Amer 
ica  a  woman  is  seldom  seen  doing  a  man's 
labor.  The  women  of  Europe  who  work  in  the 
fields  handle  the  hoe,  fork,  and  spade  as  well  as 
any  man,  and  they  are  stout  and  coarse  featured, 
compared  with  our  delicate  American  women. 

Basle  is  a  beautiful  city,  and  one  of  the  oldest 
and  largest  in  Switzerland.  It  dates  from  the  old 
Roman  times.  It  is  situated  on  the  Rhine,  above 
navigation. 

From  Basle  I  went  to  Zurich.  The  National 
Exhibition  was  being  held  there  at  that  time,  and 
they  had  the  finest  display  of  mechanical  and 
agricultural  implements  I  ever  saw. 


•••I 


CHAPTER   IV. 

CONCLUSION  OF  A  TRIP  AROUND  THE  WORLD. 

_^Jtww*»  Zurich  I  went  to  Munich,  in  Ger 
many,  crossing  the  beautiful  Lake  Con 
stance  to  Lindon.  I  journeyed  the  rest 
of  the  way  by  rail.  While  at  Munich,  they  were 
holding  their  International  Art  Exhibition.  It 
was  the  grandest  collection  of  paintings  and 
sculpture  I  ever  saw.  Munich  is  one  of  the  art 
centers  of  the  world,  and  has  numerous  art  gal 
leries. 

I  next  went  to  Linz,  in  Austria,  and  from 
there  by  steamer  down  the  Danube  to  Vienna. 
I  think  this  city  ranks  next  to  Paris  in  beauty. 
It  is  very  artistically  laid  out,  and  is  kept  in  ex 
quisite  order.  It  abounds  in  magnificent  build 
ings,  and  more  are  being  built.  In  the  old 
portion  of  the  city  the  streets  are  narrow,  but  the 
new  part  has  broad  avenues,  which  stretch  for 

(87) 


00  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

miles,  and  the  fine  buildings  give  it  the  appear 
ance  of  a  city  of  palaces.  It  also  boasts  of  beau- 
.tiful  parks  and  public  gardens.  The  Prater  is  a 
natural  park,  comprising  several  low  islands, 
formed  by  arms  of  the  Danube  River.  It  is 
divided  into  two  parts,  called  the  Upper  and 
Lower  Prater,  by  the  Prater  Avenue.  This  park 
is  open  on  Sundays  and  week  days.  It  contains 
coffee  houses,  panorama,  circus,  swings,  jugglers, 
rustic  kitchens,  long  rows  of  tables  and  benches, 
an  amphitheater,  and  trains  of  carriages;  and, 
with  the  multitude  of  people  all  dressed  in  their 
various  costumes  and  engaged  in  the  various 
sports  and  exercises,  forms  one  of  the  most  beau 
tiful  sights  to  be  seen  anywhere. 

From  Vienna  I  went  to  Dresden,  passing 
through  Bohemia.  Dresden  is  noted  for  its  fa 
mous  Chinaware,  and  it  has  some  very  fine  art 
galleries,  after  visiting  which  I  went  to  Berlin. 
I  read  so  much  about  this  place  during  the 
Franco-Prussian  War  that  it  held  particular  in 
terest  for  me.  I  visited  the  famous  "  Unter  den 
Linden,"  where  the  French  proposed  to  sing  the 
Marseilles  hymn,  but  a  more  important  engagement 
in  Paris  prevented  them  from  doing  so.  "Unter 
den  Linden"  is  to  Berlin  what  "Rotten  Row"  is  to 
London,  or  the  Boulevard  is  to  Paris.  It  is  the 
gathering  place  of  all  the  wealth  and  nobility  of 
London  or  Berlin.  Under  the  Linden  is  one  of 
the  finest  streets  to  be  found.  It  is  about  a  mile 


JAMES    BATCHELDER. 


89 


in  length  and  one  hundred  and  ninety-six  feet 
in  width.     It  takes  its  name  from  its  avenues  of 
linden  trees.     Chestnut   trees   are   mingled  here 
and  there.     In  the  center  of  this  avenue  is  a  wide 
walk,  or  foot  promenade,  with  a  row  of  trees  on 
each  side,  and  on  both  sides  of  this  walk  are  un- 
paved  drives  for  horsemen,  and  on  either  side  of 
these  are  still   two   other   wide  ones,  paved,  for 
carriage    drives,   while   beyond   these   are    wide 
sidewalks  belonging  to  the   fine   buildings  built 
upon  each  side  of  the  street.     All  the  nobility  of 
Berlin  have  their  palaces  on  this  street.     It  ex 
tends  from    Brandenburg  Gate  to  the   statue   of 
Frederick  the  Great,  the  finest  equestrian  statue 
in   the  world.     This  statue  was  begun  in   1840, 
and  completed  in  1851.     It  is  forty-four  feet  in 
height,  surmounted  by  a  statue  of  the  great  king, 
on  horseback,  in  his  coronation  robes.     The  prin 
cipal  buildings  in  the  city  are  the  emperor's  pal 
aces,    the    university   buildings,   and    the   royal 
library.     Among  other  objects  of  interest  is  a  very 
remarkable  monument,  erected  to  commemorate 
the  great  victories  of  the  German  nation  in  the 
late  European   wars.     It  appeared   to   be  about 
two    hundred    feet    in    height,    and    was     sur 
mounted   by   an   elegant   statue  of   Victory.     It 
is   made  of  the  finest  polished   stone,  and   con 
tains  a  record  of  all   the  famous  battles  of  the 
late  wars.     It  also  has  several  battle  scenes  en 
graved  on  it. 


90  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

Berlin  has  some  very  fine  parks  and  flower 
gardens.  Just  before  entering  the  city,  we  came 
to  a  magnificent  forest  of  hundreds  of  acres  of  the 
finest  trees.  This  has  been  laid  out  in  parks, 
with  beautiful  drives. 

About  twenty  miles  from  Berlin  is  Potsdam, 
the  summer  residence  of  the  imperial  family. 
Near  the  station  is  the  old  palace,  but  little  used 
now.  It  contains  the  celebrated  dining  room 
used  by  Frederick  the  Great  when  he  wished  to 
dine  with  his  ministers,  unattended  by  his  serv 
ants.  The  table  was  so  arranged  that  the  center 
o  it  could  be  let  down  into  the  kitchen,  through 
a  trap  door,  by  means  of  a  secret  spring,  and 
loaded  with  the  choicest  viands,  then,  by  the 
same  process,  returned  to  the  dining  room. 
This  could  be  repeated  as  often  as  desired.  The 
old  church  where  he  is  buried  is  in  sight  of  this 
place.  The  house  in  which  he  lived  and  died, 
the  chair  in  which  he  sat,  and  the  book  he  was 
reading  when  he  died,  are  all  shown  to  the  visi 
tor.  Here  also  are  the  graves  of  his  favorite  dogs, 
eight  in  number,  and  his  pet  horse.  Each  has  a 
separate  gravestone. 

Potsdam  has  some  beautiful  parks  also.  They 
were  laid  out  and  planted  with  trees  under  Fred 
erick  the  Great's  immediate  supervision.  The 
trees  are  so  large  now  that  the  branches  form  an 
arch  over  the  walks  and  drives,  and,  looking  up 
or  down,  it  seems  like  looking  through  a  tunnel. 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  91 

While  in  Berlin  I  met  Minister  Sargent,  and  had 
a  very  pleasant  chat  with  him. 

From  Berlin  I  went  to  Frankfort-on-the-Main. 
This  is  one  of  the  oldest  and  richest  cities  in  Ger 
many,  situated  on  both  sides  of  the  river  Main. 
It  has  a  very  fine  public  garden,  called  Palmigar- 
ten.  The  grounds  are  very  tastefully  laid  out, 
and  have  a  large  conservatory  filled  with  tropical 
plants  and  ferns.  This  garden  is  a  great  Sunday 
resort  for  the  people  of  Frankfort,  crowds  going 
there  to  listen  to  the  music,  which  is  considered 
the  finest  in  Germany.  The  hall  is  provided 
with  seats  and  promenades,  half  hidden  by  the 
growing  plants,  which  gives  it  the  appearance  of 
a  tropical  scene. 

While  there  I  visited  the  panorama  of  the 
Battle  of  Sedan.  It  was  very  good.  One  could 
hardly  tell  where  nature  left  off  and  art  began. 
The  battle  was  fought  on  September  1, 1870,  be 
tween  the  French  and  Prussians. 

From  Frankfort  I  took  the  cars  for  Mayence 
the  head  of  navigation  on  the  Rhine,  and  thence 
to  Cologne,  by  steamer.  It  was  a  six  hours'  ride, 
full  of  interest.  The  scenery  was  grand,  and  the 
steamers  were  like  floating  palaces.  The  river 
Rhine  is  not  very  wide,  but  in  some  places  the 
current  is  so  rapid  that  it  goes  with  the  velocity 
of  a  mill  stream.  All  along  the  river  the  steep 
hillsides  are  terraced  off  in  a  wonderful  way,  and 
vineyards  greet  the  eye  everywhere.  On  the  tops 


92  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

of  some  of  the  highest  hills  are  old  castles,  some 
well  preserved,  others  in  ruins.  All  unite  to  form 
a  panorama  of  an  ever-changing  scene,  and  I  en 
joyed  the  trip  hugely. 

Cologne  is  a  fine  city  of  about  one  hundred  and 
fifty  thousand  inhabitants.  The  city  dates  from 
the  time  of  the  Christian  era.  A  Roman  colony 
was  planted  there  by  the  mother  of  Nero,  although 
there  was  already  a  small  city  there  at  the  time. 
In  the  year  308  Constantine  the  Great  built  a 
stone  bridge  across  the  Rhine  at  this  place.  That 
bridge  has  entirely  disappeared,  and  in  its  place  is 
a  fine  iron  bridge,  where  cars,  teams,  and  foot  pas 
sengers  pass  to  and  fro. 

The  cathedral  at  Cologne  is  one  of  the  finest 
buildings  in  Europe.  It  was  begun  in  1248,  but 
was  not  completed  till  1880.  Four  and  one-half 
million  dollars  were  spent  on  it  during  that  time. 
It  is  built  in  the  form  of  a  cross.  The  nave  is 
planked  with  double  and  the  transit  with  single 
aisles.  The  total  length  is  four  hundred  and 
forty-four  feet  and  its  breadth  is  two  hundred  and 
seven  feet.  The  walls  are  one  hundred  and  fifty 
feet  high,  and  the  height  of  the  roof  is  two  hun 
dred  and  one  feet.  The  height  of  the  larger  towers 
is  five  hundred  and  twelve  feet.  These  towers, 
two  in  number,  are  the  highest  in  the  world  ex 
cept  the  Washington  monument.  This  massive 
stone  cathedral  is  covered  with  turrets,  statuary, 
and  all  sorts  of  figures,  presenting  in  all  a  most  im- 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  93 

posing  appearance.  Its  largest  bell  was  cast  from 
the  metal  of  a  cannon,  captured  from  the  French 
during  the  last  war,  and  weighs  twenty-five  tons. 
It  stands  on  a  high  eminence  and  can  be  seen  a 
long  distance  off.  St.  Peter's  Church  at  Rome  is 
larger  and  more  adorned  with  works  of  art,  and 
the  cathedral  at  Milan  is  more  beautiful  in  some 
respects,  but,  take  it  all  in  all,  that  at  Cologne  has 
no  rival  among  the  structures  erected  for  Christian 
worship. 

The  next  place  I  visited  was  Brussels,  the  capi 
tal  of  Belgium.  There  I  visited  the  Parliamen 
tary  buildings  and  also  the  famous  battle  field  of 
Waterloo.  In  appearance  it  is  no  different  from 
any  other  field,  and  had  it  not  been  for  the  guide, 
who  pointed  it  out  to  me,  I  might  have  walked 
all  over  the  historic  ground  without  knowing  it. 
I  was  shown  the  spot  where  Wellington  and 
Bliicher  met  after  the  defeat  of  Napoleon  and  his 
army.  That  was  a  cold  day  for  Napoleon,  as  cold 
as  it  was  for  his  namesake  relative  when  he  under 
took  to  whip  Kaiser  William.  The  battle  of 
Waterloo  was  fought  on  June  18,  1815. 

The  battle  was  between  the  allied  English, 
Netherland,  and  German  troops  under  Welling 
ton,  and  the  French  under  Napoleon,  and  it  re 
sulted  in  the  complete  overthrow  of  the  French 
emperor.  On  June  14  the  forces  of  Wellington, 
comprising  about  ninety-two  thousand  British, 
Hanoverian,  Brunswick,  Nassau,  and  Netherland 


LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

troops,  were  stationed  between  the  rivers  Scheldt 
and  Nivelles,  the  duke  having  his  headquarters 
at  Brussels,  while  Blucher,  with  three  corps  of 
Prussians,  about  ninety  thousand  men,  occupied 
Namur,  Charleroi,  and  the  adjacent  country  on 
both  sides  of  the  Sambre. 

Wellington  resisted  the  various  attacks  of  the 
enemy  from  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning  till  about 
five  in  the  afternoon.  By  this  time  sixteen  thou 
sand  Prussians  reached  the  field  of  battle,  and  by 
7  P.  M.  the  forces  under  Blucher  amounted  to  above 
fifty  thousand  men,  with  one  hundred  and  four 
guns.  Wellington  then  advanced  his  whole  line 
of  infantry,  and,  the  Prussians  advancing  simulta 
neously,  the  rout  of  the  French  became  com 
plete.  The  total  loss  of  the  allies,  including  the 
Prussians,  was  about  twenty-three  thousand  and 
that  of  the  French  thirty  thousand,  besides  two 
hundred  and  twelve  pieces  of  cannon. 

Napoleon  quitted  the  wreck  of  his  army,  re 
turned  to  Paris,  and,  finding  it  impossible  to  raise 
another  army,  abdicated.  He  afterwards  surren 
dered  to  the  English,  and  was  banished  to  St.  Hel 
ena,  where  he  died  during  exile,  May  5,  1821. 
Several  survivors  of  the  engagement  who  served 
in  that  war  have  died  during  the  past  year.  A 
few  were  still  living  while  I  was  there,  in  1883, 
and  residing  with  their  friends  or  relatives  in  va 
rious  parts  of  the  country. 

Brussels  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  cities  in 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  95 

Europe,  arid,  like  Paris,  is  celebrated  for  its 
magnificent  squares,  public  buildings,  fountains, 
walks,  and  drives,  as  well  as  for  its  manufactures  of 
lace,  carpets,  and  other  articles.  It  is  also  noted 
for  its  beautiful  women,  which  fact  alone  would 
prove  an  attraction  for  most  American  travelers. 
I  found  it  particularly  so  in  my  case. 

I  next  went  to  Paris,  a  day's  ride  by  rail. 
There  was  not  much  to  be  seen  along  the  road, 
but  the  sight  of  Paris  made  up  for  it.  The  city 
is  pleasantly  situated  on  both  sides  of  the  river 
Seine.  Its  streets  are  not  spacious,  like  those  of 
London,  but  its  public  buildings  are  far  more 
splendid.  It  abounds  in  public  walks,  gardens, 
and  other  places  of  amusement,  as  well  as  in  ex 
tensive  and  valuable  libraries,  and  literary  and 
charitable  institutions.  It  is  considered  the  gay 
est,  and  by  many  the  most  fashionable  city  in  the 
world.  One  of  the  great  features  of  Paris  is  the 
Triumphal  Arch,  built  by  Napoleon.  It  is  the 
grandest  structure  of  its  kind  in  the  world.  It  is 
one  hundred  and  forty-seven  by  seventy-three 
feet  at  the  base,  and  one  hundred  and  sixty-two 
feet  high.  The  central  archway  is  forty-five  feet 
broad  and  ninety  feet  high.  Its  inner  walls  are 
inscribed  with  the  names  of  three  hundred  and 
eighty-four  generals  and  ninety -six  victories.  The 
finest  sculptured  ornaments  are  four  groups  of 
colossal  figures,  one  of  which  represents  the  de 
parture  of  the  army  in  1792.  There  are  ten 


96  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

streets  and  broad  avenues  radiating  from  the 
arch.  One  is  the  Avenue  de  Imperatrice,  which 
consists  of  a  carriage  way,  foot  walks,  and  a 
bridle  road.  It  is  nearly  a  mile  long  and  three 
hundred  feet  wide,  bordered  by  continuous 
gardens,  outside  of  which  on  either  side  is 
still  another  carriage  road,  and  beyond  this  are 
gardens  and  villas.  This  avenue  leads  to  the 
much-read-of  Bois  de  Boulogne,  an  extensive 
park  laid  out  in  the  modern  style  of  landscape 
gardening.  It  has  the  appearance  of  a  large  for 
est,  and  is  on  the  outskirts  of  the  city.  It  has 
beautiful  drives  and  bridle  paths  in  every  direc 
tion,  and  is  visited  mostly  by  the  upper  classes  of 
society.  On  pleasant  afternoons  you  can  see  lines 
of  carriages  containing  the  wealth  and  beauty  of 
Paris.  The  lines  of  carriages  often  are  five  and  six 
miles  long,  extending  clear  around  its  beautiful 
lake  and  far  up  the  Champs  Ely  sees. 

The  Jardin  de  Acclimation  is  a  park  which 
attracts  all  classes  of  people.  The  zoological  gar 
den  is  in  this  park,  and  is  well  stocked  with  ani 
mals  and  birds.  A  band  discourses  fine  music 
every  afternoon,  attracting  crowds  of  people.  One 
of  the  most  attractive  promenades  of  Paris  is  the 
Boulevard  Interior.  It  follows  for  three  miles 
what  were  once  the  fortifications  on  the  northern 
side  of  the  ancient  city.  It  is  one  continuous  ave 
nue,  but  certain  parts  go  by  different  names. 
One  part  of  it  is  called  des  Italiens.  It  is  an  old 


JAMES   BATCHELDER.  97 

saying  that  France  is  the  center  of  civilized  na 
tions;  Paris  is  the  center  of  France,  and  the  Bou 
levard  des  Italiens  is  the  center  of  Paris. 

While  there  I  took  a  trip  on  the  circular  rail 
road,  which  afforded  a  splendid  view  of  that 
lovely  city.  I  also  visited  St.  Cloud  and  Ver 
sailles  to  see  the  imperial  palaces.  The  one  at 
St.  Cloud  was  burned  during  the  siege  of  Paris,  at 
the  time  of  the  Franco-Prussian  War,  and  has 
never  been  rebuilt.  That  at  Versailles  is  still 
standing,  and  is  furnished  in  luxuriant  style,  al 
though  it  is  not  occupied,  for,  since  France  has 
become  a  republic,  they  have  made  but  little  use 
of  those  old-time  palaces.  They  are  kept  in  good 
condition  for  the  purpose  of  showing  them  to  vis 
itors.  The  palace  with  its  surrounding  garden 
and  fountains  at  Versailles  is  something  grand. 

After  doing  Paris  and  its  suburbs,  I  started  for 
London,  taking  the  Dieppe  and  New  Haven  route. 
We  had  a  rough  passage  crossing  the  English 
Channel,  and  most  of  the  passengers  got  seasick, 
but,  fortunately,  I  escaped,  not  being  in  the  least 
affected — something  to  be  truly  thankful  for,  I  am 
sure. 

London,  the  metropolis  of  the  British  Empire, 
is  one  of  the  largest  and  most  wonderful  cities  in 
the  world.  So  much  of  interest  is  to  be  seen 
there  that  it  would  require  months  to  see  it  all, 
and  volumes  to  describe  it.  London,  compara 
tively  speaking,  has  not  so  great  a  proportion  of 
7 


98  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

magnificent  buildings  as  some  cities,  still,  it  con 
tains  a  great  number  of  splendid  edifices.  Among 
them  may  be  mentioned  St.  Paul's  Church,  which, 
if  we  except  St.  Peter's  in  Rome,  is  the  finest  in 
the  world.  In  commerce  and  manufactures  it  ex 
cels  every  other  city,  and  it  abounds  in  literary 
and  humane  institutions.  Almost  everything  that 
the  ingenuity  of  man  has  invented  is  made  here 
in  a  high  state  of  perfection,  and  many  articles 
are  unrivaled  in  their  excellence. 

The  population  of  London  is  about  four  mil 
lion  five  hundred  thousand.  It  is  estimated  that 
a  birth  takes  place  every  four  minutes,  and  in 
every  six  minutes  a  death  occurs.  It  contains 
many  thousand  miles  of  streets,  and  an  aver 
age  of  twenty-eight  miles  of  new  streets  are 
opened,  and  about  nine  thousand  new  houses 
built  in  a  year.  There  are  about  one  hundred 
thousand  foreigners  in  the  city,  from  every  quar 
ter  of  the  globe. 

It  contains  many  beautiful  parks  and  gardens. 
Hyde  Park  is  the  most  popular,  and  may  be 
called  the  people's  park.  Rotten  Row  and  the 
Ladies'  Mile  are  in  this  park,  and  are  known  the 
world  over.  The  beauty  and  wealth  of  the  city 
can  be  seen  at  this  park  any  afternoon  during  the 
summer  months.  Princes,  dukes,  lords,  members 
of  Parliament — all  mix  in  with  the  crowd,  driv 
ing  in  their  elegant  turnouts,  or  riding  fine  horses, 
and  all  vie  in  showing  off  to  the  best  advantage. 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  99 

There  are  several  fine  old  oak  trees,  the  oldest 
of  which  is  said  to  be  not  less  than  four  hundred 
and  fifty  years  of  age.  All  kinds  of  games  are  in 
dulged  in,  but  football  and  cricket  are  the  favor 
ites.  Kensingston  Garden  is  near  by,  separated 
from  it  by  the  Serpentine,  which  is  crossed  by  a 
handsome  stone  bridge.  This  place  is  more  like 
a  private  garden  than  a  park,  the  public  not 
being  allowed  to  drive  in  it.  However,  it  is  a 
favorite  promenade.  Its  principal  attraction  is 
the  celebrated  Albert  Memorial,  erected  by  Queen 
Victoria  in  memory  of  her  late  husband,  the 
Prince  Consort,  It  is  the  finest  and  most  costly 
private  monument  in  the  world.  It  is  said  to 
have  cost  $1,200,000.  It  rests  on  a  polished  gran 
ite  base  one  hundred  and  thirty  feet  square.  The 
four  corners  supporting  it  are  of  white  marble, 
representing  groups  of  figures— inhabitants  of  the 
four  quarters  of  the  globe.  Above  these  groups 
are  four  more  representing  manufacture, commerce, 
agriculture,  and  engineering,  while  at  the  base 
there  are  life-size  figures  of  some  of  the  most  rioted 
men.  The  statue  of  the  Prince  Consort  is  in  the 
center,  and  represents  him  in  a  sitting  posture.  It 
is  of  gilt  bronze,  as  is  also  the  whole  canopy. 

Regent  Park  is  another  favorite  resort.  It  is  very 
beautiful,  with  its  grand  old  trees  and  lovely 
drives,  which  extend  around  its  outer  edge  for 
two  and  a  half  miles.  A  part  of  this  park  con 
tains  the  zoological  garden,  which  has  the  largest 


100  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

exhibition  of  birds,  beasts,  and  reptiles  to  be  seen 
anywhere  in  the  world.  I  visited  several  other 
parks  in  London  but  of  less  interest. 

I  also  visited  the  Tower  of  London.  It  was  built 
eight  hundred  years  ago,  and  was  used  as  a  for 
tress  and  palace  in  olden  times;  now  it  is  used  as 
a  depository  of  the  national  arms  and  accouter- 
ments.  The  ancient  records  of  the  kingdom  con 
tain  many  documents  relative  to  the  warlike 
stores  preserved  in  and  issued  from  the  tower. 
Additions  were  made  from  various  sources  until 
the  collection  contained  the  most  interesting  speci 
mens  of  armor  and  weapons  of  almost  every  age  of 
English  history. 

In  the  banqueting  room  the  devices  are  fine. 
The  north  windows  contain  passion  and  sunflow 
ers  made  of  sword  blades,  ramrods,  bayonets,  and 
pistols  In  the  west  window  the  rising  sun  is  well 
imitated  in  the  arrangement  of  bayonets  and 
springs  of  ramrods.  The  device  in  the  center  of 
the  avenue  represents  a  water  spout  at  sea;  an 
other  represents  a  pineapple,  and  so  on. 

The  numerous  halls,  galleries,  and  gardens  of 
the  palace  in  the  tower  were  the  scenes  of  magnif 
icent  wedding  festivities  on  the  occasion  of  the 
marriage  of  Henry  the  Third.  To  this  monarch 
the  whole  fortress  was  indebted  for  much  of  the 
splendor  and  importance  it  possessed  in  the  early 
ages.  Edward  the  Third  often  held  his  court  in 
this  tower.  We  have  ancient  records  of  the  mag- 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  101 

nificent  scenes  that  were  at  times  enacted  within 
these  gloomy  walls.  But  there  is  also  a  sadness 
about  this  place,  for  the  annals  of  the  tower  as  a 
prison  tell  of  its  fearful  and  gloomy  events.  It  is 
said  to  contain  secret  passages  to  rooms  of  torture, 
and  that  dungeons  abound  within  and  beneath 
the  fortress.  Everything  is  in  keeping  with  the 
dark  ages  in  which  it  was  built,  and  the  dreadful 
scenes  it  has  witnessed. 

If  those  walls  could  speak,  what  tales  of  horror 
they  might  recount!  Many  persons  of  rank  have 
been  imprisoned  and  executed  here.  Among 
those  who  lost  their  lives  in  this  place  are  Anne 
Boleyn,  executed  May  19,  1536,  and  Lady  Jane 
Gray.  The  ax  and  block  used  on  those  occasions 
are  still  kept  in  the  tower  as  relics  of  curiosity  to 
be  shown  to  visitors.  It  was  in  this  same  tower 
that  the  youthful  sons  of  Edward  the  Fourth 
were  smothered  by  pillows  by  order  of  their  uncle, 
Richard  the  Third. 

After  sojourning  my  allotted  time  in  London, 
I  went  to  Scotland  via  the  Midland  Railroad,  and 
visited  Edinburgh,  Glasgow,  and  the  famous 
Scottish  Lakes.  On  my  return  I  stopped  at  Ster 
ling  Castle,  and  had  the  opportunity  to  inspect 
one  of  the  oldest  and  strongest  castles  of  the  early 
days.  The  trip  on  the  lakes  is  very  interesting, 
and  is  taken  by  all  tourists  who  come  in  this  vi 
cinity.  The  trip  can  be  made  in  one  day. 

We  left  Glasgow  in  the  morning  by  rail,  and  on 


102  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

our  arrival  at  Loch  Lomond  we  were  transferred 
to  a  pretty  little  steamer,  on  which  we  crossed  the 
lake.  Then  we  went  by  stage  through  the  Tros- 
sacks,  where  the  scenery  is  very  grand,  Ben  Lo 
mond,  a  lofty  mountain  plain,  being  in  view 
during  the  whole  ride.  After  arriving  at  Loch 
Katrine,  another  beautiful  lake  hemmed  in  on 
all  sides  by  high  mountains,  we  took  passage  on 
another  little  steamer,  crossed  the  lake,  and  again 
took  the  stage  to  the  railway  station,  and  returned 
by  rail  to  Glasgow,  reaching  there  the  same  even 
ing.  While  on  the  trip  I  formed  the  acquaint 
ance  of  a  party  of  American  ladies  from  Chicago 
and  California,  which,  of  course,  made  the  trip 
doubly  pleasant  to  me. 

Glasgow  on  the  Clyde  is,  in  regard  to  commerce, 
manufactures,  and  population  the  first  city  in 
Scotland.  George's  Square  is  a  fine  place,  situated 
in  the  heart  of  the  city.  It  contains  a  large  num 
ber  of  monuments  erected  to  the  memory  of  some 
of  Scotland's  most  noted  men;  among  them  are 
those  of  Sir  John  Moore,  Robert  Burns,  James 
Watt,  David  Livingstone,  Robert  Peel,  and  Sir 
Walter  Scott. 

From  Glasgow  I  went  by  steamer  down  the 
Clyde  River  and  crossed  the  Irish  Channel  to  Bel 
fast,  and  thence  by  rail  to  Dublin.  While  there 
I  visited  Phoenix  Park  and  saw  the  spot  where 
Lord  Cavendish  and  Secretary  Burk  were  mur 
dered.  I  also  saw  the  prison  in  which  the  sup- 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  103 

posed  murderers  were  confined  until  they  were 
executed. 

One  of  the  great  features  of  this  place  is  Dublin 
Castle.  It  is  supposed  to  have  been  begun  in  the 
year  120,  by  Myles  Fitzhenry,  a  son  of  Henry  the 
Second,  and  was  finished  in  1220.  It  is  situated 
on  Cork  Hill,  the  highest  and  most  central  part 
of  the  city.  It  was  a  place  of  great  strength,  and 
was  divided  into  two  courts,  which  are  called  the 
upper  and  lower  castle  yards.  The  upper  yard,  or 
court,  contains  the  official  residence  of  the  viceroy, 
and  the  buildings  are  all  uniform — red  brick  with 
blue  granite  facings  on  all  sides.  An  archway 
under  the  east  section  of  the  buildings  connects  it 
with  the  lower  castle  yard.  The  principal  en 
trance  to  the  castle  opens  into  the  upper  yard. 
The  arch  over  the  gate  is  of  limestone,  and  bears 
on  its  pediment  an  elegant  statue  of  Justice. 

In  the  castle  a  guardroom  is  fitted  up,  wherein 
a  company  of  foot  soldiers  are  stationed,  sentries 
being  posted  at  the  various  entrances  to  the  castle 
and  other  prominent  points.  St.  Patrick's  Hall 
is  in  the  castle,  and  is  eighty-two  feet  long,  forty- 
one  broad,  and  thirty-eight  feet  high.  It  is  hand 
somely  decorated  with  fine  fresco  paintings  on 
the  ceilings.  In  one  place  St.  Patrick  is  repre 
sented  converting  the  Irish  people  to  Christianity. 
Another  place  shows  Henry  the  Second  seated 
under  a  canopy  receiving  the  submission  of  the 
Irish  Chieftains.  A  mosaic  representation  of 


104  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

George  the  Third,  supported  by  figures  of  Liberty 
and  Justice,  is  seen  in  the  middle  circle. 

At  either  end  of  the  hall  is  a  large  gallery  for 
the  musicians  and  spectators.  It  is  here  they 
hold  their  court  balls,  and  no  one  is  admitted 
unless  in  court  dress  or  uniform.  Cards  of  admis 
sion  are  given  to  spectators,  but  they  must  appear 
in  full  dress.  Dublin  is  a  pretty  city. 

The  buildings  on  each  street  seem  to  have  been 
built  all  after  the  same  plan,  and  at  the  same 
time,  and  by  the  same  party.  Dublin  is  situated 
at  the  head  of  a  spacious  and  picturesque  bay  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Liffey  River,  seven  miles  from 
the  Irish  Sea.  It  is  noted  for  the  beauty  of  its 
women,  and  the  biddies  can  be  seen  there  in  all 
their  glory.  I  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that 
the  better  class  of  Irish  in  Ireland  are  as  fine  and 
intelligent  as  anyone  could  wish  to  meet.  I 
found  them  as  much  so  as  in  any  country  in 
Europe,  or,  in  fact,  in  any  country  I  have  traveled. 
The  class  of  Irish  which  we  see  in  America  is 
composed  mostly  of  the  scum  of  Ireland. 

From  Dublin  I  recrossed  the  Irish  Sea  to  Holy- 
head  in  Wales,  and  from  there  I  went  to  Liver 
pool.  I  spent  a  few  days  at  Manchester  and  War- 
rington.  At  the  latter  place  I  paid  a  visit  to 
some  relatives  of  friends  of  mine  in  California. 
These  folks  accompanied  me  to  Manchester,  and 
escorted  me  over  the  whole  city,  pointing  out  all 
places  of  particular  interest.  Manchester  is  a 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  105 

large  inland  city  and  in  population  ranks  next 
to  Liverpool  and  next  to  London  in  manufac 
tures.  Its  cotton  fabrics  are  much  celebrated  for 
their  variety  and  beauty.  It  has  ninety-one  cot 
ton  mills,  thirteen  silk  mills,  thirty  small  ware 
mills,  forty-eight  iron  foundries,  forty-eight  dye- 
works,  and  about  one  hundred  machine  shops. 
The  cotton  mills  employ  about  sixty  thousand 
people. 

The  City  Hall  is  one  of  the  finest  buildings  in 
Europe.  The  floors  are  tiled  in  mosaic  work  of 
colored  stones  set  in  shapes  of  butterflies,  spiders, 
serpents,  etc.,  and  edged  with  borders  of  China 
work.  The  work,  which  is  very  beautiful,  was 
done  by  men  who  came  from  Italy  for  that  ex 
press  purpose.  The  cost  of  the  building  was  enor 
mous,  but  I  am  not  able  to  give  the  figures. 

Liverpool  is  a  large  seaport  on  the  Mersey.  It 
is  the  largest  shipping  port  in  the  world,  and  is  the 
second  city  in  England  in  respect  to  wealth  and 
commerce.  It  has  splendid  docks,  and  while 
strolling  along  them  one  can  see  thousands  of 
masts  rising  from  the  many  vessels  and  ocean 
steamers,  a  large  number  of  which  are  dispatched 
daily  from  its  harbor  to  all  parts  of  the  world, 
while  others  are  constantly  arriving  laden  with 
treasures  from  all  quarters  of  the  globe.  There  is 
no  other  place  in  the  world  where  there  is  such 
a  continuous  line  of  docks.  They  present  a  quay 
age  to  wet  docks  and  tidal  basins,  alone,  of  twenty- 


106  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

two  and  one-half  miles,  and  a  water  space  of  three 
hundred  and  thirty-three  acres,  which,  together 
with  land  sheds,  quays,  and  warehouses,  cover  an 
area  of  one  thousand  and  forty  acres.  These  fig 
ures  apply  only  to  the  Lan cast ersh ire  side  of  the 
Mersey  dock  and  harbor  estate. 

On  the  Chesline  shore  at  Birkenhead  there  are 
docks  with  a  water  area  of  one  hundred  and  sixty- 
four  acres,  with  nearly  ten  miles  quayage,  thus 
making  in  all  a  water  area  of  nearly  five  hundred 
acres,  and  a  total  quayage  of  thirty-two  miles.  In 
addition  are  twenty-two  graving  docks  for  repair 
ing  vessels  with  an  aggregate  length  of  floor  of 
fourteen  thousand  feet.  The  whole  estate  is 
studded  with  imposing  buildings,  such  as  dock- 
masters'  residences,  custom  house,  police  stations, 
clock  towers,  dockyard  offices,  etc. 

On  the  Lan castersh ire  side  is  a  double  line  of 
railway  tracks  five  miles  in  length.  There  is  no 
part  of  the  habitable  wrorld  that  cannot  be  reached 
from  Liverpool.  It  is  connected  with  New  York 
by  a  fleet  of  magnificent  steamers  which  run  with 
almost  the  same  regularity  as  our  railroad  trains. 

Before  leaving  for  America  I  must  give  a  short 
sketch  of  some  of  the  hotels  at  which  I  had  the 
pleasure  or  the  misfortune  to  stop  while  in 
Europe.  As  a  rule,  they  wrere  well  kept,  but  everv 
means  wras  resorted  to  to  extract  money  from 
strangers.  Their  rates  seemed  reasonable  enough, 
but  little,  unexpected  items  would  appear  on  the 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  107 

bill,  which  would  run  it  up  to  an  exorbitant  sum. 
The  price  of  the  room  does  not  include  the  light, 
such  as  gas,  candle,  or  coal  oil ;  nor  does  it  include 
any  service  whatever;  these  are  all  charged  extra 
in  the  bill.  Hot  water  and  soap  are  also  charged 
as  extras,  and  various  unexpected  items  are 
added,  particularly  if  they  never  expect  to  see  you 
again.  Their  motto  is  to  get  while  they  have  the 
chance. 

The  employes  of  the  hotels  are  required  to  show 
great  respect  to  the  guests,  and,  when  a  guest 
passes  in  or  out,  all  who  happen  to  be  near  the 
entrance  at  the  time,  lift  their  caps  and  bow  in 
respect.  This  applies  to  Italy  in  particular.  All 
of  the  servants  expect  a  little  something  from  the 
guest  when  he  is  about  to  depart;  this  is  called 
tipping.  When  the  guest  is  ready  to  leave,  the 
manager  rings  a  bell,  and  in  an  instant  the  cor 
ridor  is  filled  with  servants  from  all  parts  of  the 
house.  One  would  never  imagine  there  were  so 
many,  but  among  them  are  some  who  had  not 
been  seen  by  the  guest  before,  and,  although  they 
have  rendered  you  no  service,  they  expect  to  share 
with  the  others  in  the  everlasting  tips.  They  all 
follow  to  the  carriage,  shower  you  with  good 
wishes  and  a  bon  voyage. 

The  restaurants  along  the  railways  on  the  Con 
tinent  are  very  good,  and  on  some  lines  they  seem 
to  be  all  under  one  management.  The  conductor, 
or  guard,  as  he  is  called  there,  takes  your  order 


108  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

for  dinner  and  telegraphs  it  ahead,  and,  when  the 
train  arrives  at  the  station,  dinner  is  brought  to 
you  on  a  platter.  You  can  eat  your  meal  at  your 
leisure,  while  the  train  moves  speedily  on  to  the 
next  station.  Here  the  tray  with  its  dishes  is 
taken  away  and  sent  back  on  the  returning  train, 
or  kept  there  in  exchange  for  some  which  had 
been  taken  to  the  other  station  by  passangers  go 
ing  in  the  opposite  direction.  The  railways  all 
through  Europe  are  well  built  and  kept  in  splen 
did  order.  The  trains  are  run  at  a  very  high  rate 
of  speed,  and  the  block  signal  system  is  used  on 
most  of  the  lines.  By  this  system  they  avoid  ac 
cidents,  which  are  so  frequent  in  this  country,  for 
no  two  trains  can  be  between  two  stations  at  the 
same  time.  The  forward  train  in  passing  a  sta 
tion  sets  a  danger  signal,  which  remains  in  that 
position  till  the  train  passes  the  next  station,  when 
it  is  dropped,  and  set  at  the  next  one,  and  so  on 
along  the  entire  length  of  the  road.  This  works 
automatically,  by  means  of  electricity,  and  is  a 
great  safeguard  to  trains  following  each  other  on 
the  same  track.  The  railways  in  Europe  have  all 
double  tracks,  and  no  two  roads  are  allowed  to 
cross  each  other  on  the  level;  one  has  to  go  under 
the  other;  nor  is  a  carriage  road  allowed  to  cross 
a  railway  on  the  level.  The  roads  are  all  well 
fenced,  and  no  one  is  permitted  to  walk  on  the 
track,  under  penalty  .of  arrest  and  fine.  Police 
are  stationed  all  along  the  track.  The  cars  are 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  109 

not  so  comfortable  and  pleasant  to  ride  in  as  our 
American  cars,  for  they  are  divided  into  compart 
ments,  first,  second,  and  third  class  often  being  in 
one  car.     The  seats  face  each  other,  and  there  is  a 
door  on  each  side  of  the  car.     While  the  train  is 
in  motion  these  doors  are  locked,  and  opened  by 
the  conductor  at  every  station.     Each  compart 
ment  is  provided  with  a  distress  signal  or  electric 
bell.     On  some  roads  these  electric  bell  buttons 
are  covered  with  glass,  which  must  be  broken  be 
fore  an  alarm  can   be  given.     The   passenger   is 
supposed  to  break  it  with  his  fist,     No  one  can  get 
on  the  train  without  a  ticket,  as  it  has  to  be  pre 
sented  at  the  gate  before  entering  where  the  train 
is  standing.     The  conductor  does  not  take  up  the 
tickets;  but,  when  the  passenger  arrives  at  his 
destination,    as     he    passes     through    the    gate, 
the    ticket    is     taken     by    the     station     agent. 
Carriage  fare  in  European  cities  is  generally  not 
so  expensive,  as  the  tariff  is  everywhere  fixed  by 
law,  and  the  driver  is  obliged    to  show  the  rate 
sheet  to  all  who  may  wish  to  see  it. 

I  left  Liverpool  for  New  York  September  1, 
1883,  on  the  steamship  Abyssinia,  a  slow  but 
staunch  craft.  Our  passage  across  the  Atlantic 
was  a  very  rough  one  for  the  first  four  days  out. 
For  the  remainder  of  our  trip  we  had  calm  weather, 
with  the  exception  of  heavy  fogs  off  the  coast  of 
New  Foundland.  We  reached  New  York  safely 
after  a  voyage  of  eleven  and  one-half  days. 


110 


LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 


While  on  the  voyage  a  death  occurred  among  the 
deck  hands.  One  of  their  number  was  sick  when 
we  left  Liverpool,  and  died  on  the  way.  He  was 
buried  at  sea.  It  was  the  first  and  only  case  of 
the  kind  that  occurred  during  my  long  journey 
around  the  world.  On  reaching  New  York  I  stayed 
a  few  days  to  visit  places  of  interest,  among  them 
Central  Park,  the  new  suspension  bridge,  etc, 

I  next  went  to  Massachusetts,  where  I  met  a 
brother  whom  I  had  not  seen  for  twenty-five  years. 
I  stayed  with  him  a  short  time  and  then  continued 
my  journey  to  New  Hampshire,  where  I  found 
other  relatives  whom  I  had  not  seen  for  the  same 
length  of  time;  and,  had  they  not  known  I  was 
coming,  they  would  never  have  recognized  in  me 
the  person  who  had  parted  from  them  so  long  ago. 
I  paid  them  a  little  visit,  and  then  left  for  Phila 
delphia,  where  I  remained  a  few  days,  and  then 
departed  for  Chicago,  remaining  there  three  weeks 
to  visit  old  friends,  who  took  me  in  charge  and 
pointed  out  all  the  places  of  note  in  and  about  that 
large  and  interesting  city.  The  place  had  im 
proved  so  much  during  my  residence  in  California 
that  I  could  see  no  resemblance  to  the  Chicago  I 
had  resided  in  twenty-five  years  ago.  It  has  be 
come  of  late  the  largest  pork,  lumber,  and  wheat 
center  in  the  world.  The  beauty  of  its  parks,  av 
enues,  and  buildings  is  not  much  surpassed  by 
anything  of  the  kind  which  I  saw  during  my 
travels  elsewhere. 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  Ill 

From  Chicago  I  went  to  New  Orleans,  one  of 
the  oldest  cities  in  the  United  States.  It  was  set 
tled  by  the  French  in  early  times,  and  is  laid  out 
very  much  like  some  of  the  old  cities  in  Europe. 
From  there  I  took  the  cars  en  route  to  California, 
stopping  a  few  days  at  San  Antonio,  Texas.  This 
is  a  pretty  little  city,  the  houses  being  built  mostly 
of  white  sandstone,  which  is  so  soft  that  it  can  be 
sawed  in  blocks,  and  the  buildings  when  com 
pleted  have  the  appearance  of  having  been 
painted  white.  The  San  Antonio  River  is  a  beau 
tiful  stream  flowing  through  the  middle  of  the 
city  and  is  spanned  by  several  fine  bridges.  An 
other  feature  of  the  city  is  the  old  mission  church. 
It  is  an  ancient  edifice  constructed  of  massive 
stones  which  give  it  more  the  appearance  of  a 
castle  than  a  temple  of  worship.  It  is  built  within 
the  walls  of  a  fortress,  which  was  used  as  a  defense 
in  early  times.  The  San  Pedro  Springs  situated 
in  San  Pedro  Park,  is  a  pleasant  place  to  visit. 
The  park  is  situated  on  the  outskirts  of  the  town 
in  a  beautiful  grove  of  trees,  and  contains  springs 
of  pure  water,  in  which  are  turtles  and  several 
kinds  of  fish,  which  come  to  the  surface  to  be  fed 
by  the  visitors.  Another  place  of  interest  is  the 
Alamo  plaza.  It  was  there  that  David  Crockett 
and  James  Bowie,  the  inventor  of  the  famous  knife, 
were  buried  together  with  those  companions  who 
fell  in  heroic  defense  of  the  Alamo  during  the 
Texas  war  of  independence  from  Mexico  in  1835. 


112  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

My  next  stopping  point  was  at  Tucson,  where  I 
stayed  a  few  days  and  then  went  to  Yurna  and 
visited  a  friend,  formerly  of  California,  who  was 
employed  by  the  Arizona  government  as  superin 
tendent  of  the  territorial  prison  located  there. 
My  friend  showed  me  all  through  the  prison,  and 
I  saw  some  of  the  hardest-looking  faces  among 
the  criminals  confined  within  its  wall  that  the 
world  ever  produced.  I  also  spent  a  few  days  at 
Los  Angeles,  after  which  I  journeyed  direct  to 
Oakland,  California,  arriving  there  on  the  18th 
of  December,  1883. 

This  completed  niy  trip  around  the  world, 
which  was  to  me  very  interesting  indeed.  It 
took  me  eleven  months  to  make  the  trip,  during 
which  time  I  traveled  at  least  thirty  thousand 
miles,  and  visited  most  all  of  the  principal  cities 
in  the  Old  World.  I  am  truly  thankful  to  the 
kind  providence  which  watched  over  me  and 
guided  me  safely  through  all  the  dangers  which 
threaten  both  sea  and  land. 

And  I  am  glad  to  be  once  more  at  home  in  my 
adopted  State.  I  feel  grateful  that  I  am  an 
American  citizen  and  that  I  can  call  America 
my  home.  Each  country  I  visited  had  its  own 
particular  attractions  and  peculiar  features,  but 
in  not  one  of  them  did  I  find  such  a  combination 
of  all  that  goes  towards  making  a  country  desir 
able  for  a  permanent  residence  as  in  our  own 
America.  I  have  learned  to  appreciate  it  more 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  113 

since  having  traveled  in  a  foreign  land;  yet,  at 
the  same  time,  I  am  not  of  that  class  who  cannot 
see  anything  good  or  beautiful  outside  of  their 
own  country. 

The  journey  was  taken  by  the  writer  as  a  mere 
pleasure  trip,  without  any  intention  of  writing  an 
account  of  what  is  to  be  seen,  learned,  and  en 
joyed  from  such  a  trip.  It  would  take  volumes 
to  record  all,  so  I  came  to  the  conclusion  that  I 
would  keep  a  record  of  the  route  taken,  and  give 
a  slight  description  of  some  of  the  principal  cities 
and  things  to  be  seen,  for  the  mere  gratification 
of  myself  and  some  of  my  most  intimate  friends. 

Having  made  the  tour  of  the  world  in  eleven 
months,  it  may  be  thought  by  some  to  be  too 
short  a  time  in  which  to  take  such  a  trip;  but  the 
facilities  for  traveling  are  so  great  at  the  present 
day  that  the  actual  traveling  time  in  going  round 
the  world  has  been  reduced  to  two  and  one-half 
months,  thus  leaving  me  eight  and  one-half 
months  for  sight  seeing  and  other  amusements. 
For  the  benefit  of  my  friends  or  anyone  who  may 
wish  to  take  a  trip  of  this  kind,  I  will  state  that 
the  best  way  to  carry  money  is  by  letter  of  credit, 
and  only  draw  on  it  the  amount  you  expect  to  use 
in  each  country  you  visit.  It  will  be  necessary  to 
abstain  from  drinking  water  as  much  as  possible, 
especially  in  the  southern  parts  of  Asia. 

I  was  very  fortunate  during  my  trip;  I  met 
with  no  accident  of  any  kind;  I  never  had  the 


114 


LIFE    AND    TRAVELS. 


slightest  illness;  I  never  missed  a  steamer  or  train, 
nor  was  I  detained  a  single  day  or  scarcely  an 
hour;  and  I  never  lost  a  piece  of  baggage;  and  I 
always  met  with  the  best  of  fellow-travelers,  who 
showed  me  all  the  respect  due  to  a  gentleman. 
This  trip  has  been  accomplished  with  a  great  deal 
of  pleasure  and  enjoyment,  and  will  continue  to 
be  a  source  of  enjoyment  during  the  remainder  of 
my  life. 


CHAPTER   V. 

A  TRIP    ACROSS    THE  CONTINENT    FROM  CALIFORNIA 
TO  MASSACHUSETTS. 

TER  my  return  from  the  trip  around  the 
world,  I  spent  a  part  of  the  winter  in  Cali 
fornia  visiting  some  of  the  places  of  re 
sorts  I  had  not  seen  before,  namely,  Santa  Cruz, 
Monterey,  and  Duncan's  Mills.  These  are  all 
great  resorts  for  summer  tourists,  and  all  are  well 
patronized,  the  two  former  on  account  of  their 
facilities  for  surf  bathing,  and  the  latter  for  its 
beautiful  mountain  scenery  and  fine  climate. 

Toward  the  last  of  April,  1884,  I  left  Oakland 
on  the  overland  train  via  the  Central  Pacific  Rail 
road.  At  Port  Costa  the  whole  train  with  the  en 
gine  was  taken  across  the  Sacramento  River  on 
the  ferryboat  Solano.  On  our  arrival  at  Benicia 
the  train  was  again  transferred  to  the  railroad 

(115) 


116  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

track,  and  we  proceeded  on  our  journey  to  Sacra 
mento.  We  reached  that  city  after  recrossing  the 
river  on  a  magnificent  bridge. 

On  leaving  Sacramento  we  soon  found  our 
selves  in  the  Sierra  Nevada  Mountains,  where  the 
road  leads  through  a  continuous  line  of  snow- 
sheds  for  about  forty  miles.  Donner  Lake,  which 
lies  several  hundred  feet  below  the  track  on  this 
route,  is  called  the  gem  of  the  Sierras,  and  is  but 
two  miles  from  Truckee.  This  beautiful  lake  was 
made  historical  by  its  connection  with  the  suffer 
ings  of  the  Donner  party  in  the  winter  of  1847. 
It  seems  strange  to  anyone  not  acquainted  with 
the  condition  of  the  country  at  that  time  to  read 
of  the  awful  sufferings  for  want  of  food;  but  then 
there  were  no  white  settlers  in  the  mountains,  nor 
was  there  any  habitation  whatever  within  a  long 
distance;  there  was  no  food  to  be  had,  and  the 
people  were  too  weak  to  make  their  way  over  the 
snowy  mountains  to  the  unknown  country  beyond. 

We  next  came  to  the  Truckee  River,  which  flows 
through  the  town  at  a  rapid  rate,  reminding  me 
very  much  of  the  Abana  in  Damascus.  It  is  fed 
from  the  waters  of  Lake  Tahoe.  Next  we  came 
to  the  Humboldb  River,  with  its  sink  in  the  quick 
sand.  Taking  all  of  these  with  other  lovely  sights 
to  be  seen  along  the  road,  and  the  good  fortune  of 
meeting  with  gentlemanly  conductors  and  porters, 
and  having  pleasant  traveling  companions— con 
sisting  of  two  ladies  from  Oakland,  one  gentleman 


JAMES    BATCHELDEK.  117 

from  Boston,  one  from  Chicago,  and  an  English 
man  from  Australia — the  trip  from  Oakland  to 
Ogden  was  made  as  pleasant  as  one  could  desire. 
At  this  point  the  party  separated,  some  going  by 
the  Union  Pacific,  others  by  the  Denver  and  Rio 
Grande,  while  I  stopped  over  at  Salt  Lake  City. 
This  is  a  fine  city  with  streets  all  of  the  same 
width,  130  feet,  having  a  stream  of  fresh  water  on 
either  side  of  them  which  act  as  sewers  to  carry 
off  any  filth  that  may  accumulate. 

During  my  stay  I  took  a  carriage  and  drove  to 
the  Mormon  Tabernacle.  This  building  is  two 
hundred  and  thirty-three  feet  long,  one  hundred 
and  eighty-three  feet  wide,  and  seventy  feet  high, 
and  seats  six  thousand  five  hundred  persons.  The 
roof  covers  the  entire  building  without  a  single 
support  on  the  inside.  It  is  the  largest  of  its  kind 
in  America.  While  1  was  at  one  end  of  the  build 
ing  and  the  guide  at  the  opposite  end,  he  dropped 
a  pin,  which  I  distinctly  heard  as  it  struck  the 
fioor.  We  next  went  to  the  unfinished  temple, 
the  corner  stone  of  which  was  laid  in  April,  1858. 
It  has  already  cost  $1,700,000.  It  is  two  hundred 
feet  long  by  one  hundred  feet  wide  and  two  hun 
dred  feet  high,  with  towers  at  either  end  each  two 
hundred  feet  high.  We  next  visited  Brigliam 
Young's  grave,  and  then  Fort  Douglas,  some  three 
miles  from  the  city.  From  there  we  could  seethe 
hill  called  Red  Butte,  where  Brigliam  Young 
claimed  the  revelation  was  made  to  him  on  his  ar- 


118  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

rival  at  Salt  Lake.  The  fort  lies  several  hundred 
feet  higher  than  the  city,  and  from  it  could  be 
seen  a  beautiful  panorama  of  the  city,  lake,  and 
valley,  spread  out  before  our  eyes. 

After  leaving  there  I  traveled  via  the  Denver 
and  RioGrande  Rail  road,  termed  the  "Scenic  Route 
of  the  World."  This  road  runs  through  the  great 
Salt  Lake  Basin,  in  Utah  Valley,  and  passes 
through  some  of  the  most  beautiful  scenery  I  ever 
saw.  The  Castle  Gate  consists  of  two  immense 
towers  five  hundred  feet  above  the  track  and  sep 
arated  only  enough  to  allow  the  trains  and  river 
to  pass  through.  Then  there  are  the  Palisades, 
which  appear  like  large  cities,  with  their  domes, 
spires  and  minarets,  reminding  me  very  much  of 
my  first  sight  of  Constantinople  from  the  deck  of 
the  steamer.  We  then  ran  along  by  the  side  of 
the  Price  River  for  quite  a  distance,  winding 
around  short  curves,  up  steep  grades,  and  down 
the  same,  over  a  comparatively  smooth  track,  and, 
when  night  came  on  and  we  were  obliged  to  re 
tire,  it  was  with  a  request  to  be  called  at  five 
o'clock  in  the  morning  to  see  Black  Canon.  This 
place  is  indeed  a  piece  of  nature's  most  wonderful 
work.  Its  rock-bound  chasms  are  wild  and  pic 
turesque  in  the  extreme.  Gunnison  River  rushes 
madly  by  at  its  base,  and  cataracts  leap  from  its 
high  cliffs  down  perpendicular  walls  thousands  of 
feet  high,  into  whose  gloomy  depths  the  sun  never 
penetrates  except  when  at  its  meridian.  After 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  119 

passing  through  this  canon  we  came  to  the  town 
of  Gunnison.  From  there  the  road  begins  its 
grade,  winding  on  and  up  the  Rocky  Mountains 
on  a  grade  of  two  hundred  and  seventeen  feet  to 
the  mile,  crossing  and  recrossing  till  the  Conti 
nental  Divide  is  reached  and  crossed  at  Marshall 
Pass,  ten  thousand  seven  hundred  and  fifty  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  sea.  At  this  point  the  snow 
was  quite  deep  and  still  falling.  This  was  on  the 
1st  of  May,  and  I  began  to  think  my  chance  for 
gathering  Mayflowers  was  rather  slim,  but  on  de 
scending  the  mountain  on  the  other  side  we  soon 
came  into  a  warmer  climate. 

Our  next  piece  of  fine  scenery  was  what  is  called 
the  Grand  Canon.  It  was  grand  indeed.  I  advise 
anyone  who  wishes  to  take  a  trip  East,  and  who 
is  a  lover  of  fine  scenery,  to  go  via  the  Denver  and 
Rio  Grande  Railway.  After  passing  through  the 
last-named  canon  we  reached  Canon  City.  At  this 
place  we  learned  that  one  of  the  railroad  bridges 
had  been  burned  the  night  before,  and,  in  conse 
quence,  our  train  was  detained  three  hours.  This 
gave  us  an  opportunity  to  visit  the  Colorado  State 
Prison,  located  there.  Our  next  stopping  place 
was  South  Pueblo,  from  which  place  we  continued 
our  journey  to  the  city  of  Denver,  "the  queen  of 
the  Rockies." 

The  time  over  the  road  is  quite  fast,  averaging 
twenty-eight  miles  per  hour,  including  stops.  At 
Denver  I  stopped  at  the  Windsor  House.  This 


120  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

is  a  good  hotel.  There  are  several  good  hotels  and 
many  fine  residences  in  the  place.  The  Union 
Depot,  built  of  native  lava  stone,  is  five  hundred 
and  three  feet  long,  sixty-seven  feet  wide,  and  one 
hundred  and  eighty-three  feet  high,  to  the  top  of 
the  dome.  It  is  one  of  the  best  built  depot  build 
ings  in  the  country. 

On  leaving  Denver  1  took  the  Burlington  and 
Missouri  route,  which  crosses  the  plains  for  several 
hundred  miles.  The  land  is  very  poor,  and  is 
used  only  for  grazing.  I  saw  large  herds  of  cat 
tle  and  sheep,  but  they  looked  very  poor,  and  a 
great  many  had  died  during  the  spring. 

Our  next  stop  was  made  at  Kansas  City,  which 
had  many  points  of  interest,  but  my  time  was  lim 
ited.  The  city  is  perched  on  a  high  bluff  at  the 
junction  of  the  Kansas  and  Missouri  Rivers.  It 
is  one  of  the  most  flourishing  and  most  promising 
of  the  western  cities,  and  has  a  larger  population 
than  any  of  its  rivals.  It  is  a  large  railroad  cen 
ter  and  a  growing  business  place,  and  it  is  destined 
to  be  one  of  the  most  important  points  on  the  At 
lantic  slope  west  of  St.  Louis;  but  it  can  never 
outrival  Denver  in  regard  to  beauty  of  scenery. 
Kansas  City  has  thirteen  trunk  line  railroads  cen 
tering  in  it. 

Our  next  journey  was  over  the  Missouri  Pacific 
line  to  St.  Louis.  This  road  runs  along  the  Mis 
souri  River  bottoms,  so  that  there  is  but  little  to 
be  seen  except  the  river  and  a  few  small  towns. 


JAMES   BATCHELDER.  121 

At  St.  Louis  1  went  across  the  line  bridge  over  the 
Mississippi  River.  It  has  two  tracks  below  and 
a  travelway  above,  and  is  (including  the  ap 
proaches)  one  and  a  half  miles  long,  sixty  feet 
wide,  and  one  hundred  feet  above  the  water's  level. 
It  is  made  of  steel.  All  trains  leaving  here  for 
the  East,  from  the  Union  Depot,  pass  through  a 
tunnel  under  the  city,  about  a  mile  long,  and  then 
cross  the  bridge.  St.  Louis  is  noted  for  its  fine 
parks.  While  there  I  visited  Tower  Grove  and 
Lafayette  Parks  and  Shores  Garden. 

Leaving  there  via  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi 
Railroad,  I  passed  through  the  States  of  Illinois 
and  Indiana  to  Cincinnati,  in  Ohio.  This  city  is 
called  the  Queen  of  the  West,  and,  by  some,  the 
Paris  of  America.  I  suppose  it  is  on  account  of 
its  fine  streets,  fountains,  and  arcades.  Covington, 
Kentucky,  is  just  across  the  Ohio  River.  A  mass 
ive  suspension  bridge  spans  the  river  between  the 
two  cities.  The  bridge  is  so  high  that  it  does  not 
in  any  way  interfere  with  the  navigation  of  the 
river.  Over  this  suspended  structure  there  is  a 
constant  stream  of  pedestrians  and  vehicles  of 
every  description  passing  to  and  fro,  as  a  large 
business  is  carried  on  between  the  two  cities.  On 
the  river  bank  are  steamboats  of  every  descrip 
tion,  which  ply  between  this  place  and  the  South. 

The  bridge  is  nearly  a  half  a  mile  long  and 
about  one  hundred  feet  high.  It  is  suspended  on 
a  great  wire  cable,  three  feet  in  diameter,  which 


122  LIFP:  AND  TRAVELS  OF 

passes  over  stone  towers  two  hundred  feet  high. 
The  cost  of  the  bridge  was  about  two  hundred 
thousand  dollars.  There  is  a  fountain  in  this  city 
situated  on  Fountain  Square,  which  was  made  in 
Munich,  and  was  presented  to  the  city  by  Henry 
Probosco.  It  is  one  of  the  most  magnificent  of  its 
kind  I  have  ever  seen,  excepting  those  of  Rome. 
The  circular  water  basin  in  which  it  stands  is 
about  twenty-five  feet  in  diameter.  The  base  of 
the  fountain  at  the  water's  edge  has  infant  figures 
at  either  corner,  represented  as  sporting  in  their 
bath;  and,  above  these,  there  are  on  the  four  sides 
groups  of  statuary  with  basins  at  their  feet,  from 
whose  overflowing  brims  the  water  falls  in  jets. 
The  whole  is  mounted  by  a  large  female  figure 
spreading  out  her  arms  as  if  bestowing  a  blessing, 
and  from  the  tips  of  her  fingers  tiny  threads  of 
water  fall,  forming  into  a  fine  spray.  There  are 
some  ten  or  twelve  figures  in  and  around  this 
beautiful  fountain,  and  the  height  of  the  crowning 
figure  is  about  fifty  feet  above  the  street  level. 
The  whole  is  made  of  bronze,  and  cost  $250,000. 
Cincinnati  is  situated  in  a  sort  of  basin,  sur 
rounded  on  all  but  the  river  side  by  hills,  which 
rise  abruptly  from  the  city  level,  and  whose  tops 
are  reached  by  an  incline  railway  car  drawn  by 
a  cable.  The  distance  is  short  and  at  an  angle  of 
about  forty-five  degrees.  At  the  top  and  bottom 
of  the  hills  the  cable  cars  are  met  by  horse  cars, 
which  take  the  passengers  any  direction  to  their 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  123 

destination.  The  hills  are  built  up  with  fine  res 
idences,  and  a  view  from  their  summits  on  a  clear 
day  is  grand.  There  are  several  fine  parks  up 
there  and  a  large  lake,  which  freezes  over  in  win 
ter,  making  a  fine  resort  for  skaters.  During  my 
stay  at  Cincinnati  I  saw  some  of  the  effects  of  the 
late  riot.  The  walls  of  the  burned  courthouse 
were  still  standing,  but  preparations  were  being 
made  to  pull  them  down  and  rebuild. 

From  here  I  went  via  the  Marietta  and  Cincin 
nati  Railroad  to  Parkersburg,  thence  via  the  Bal 
timore  and  Ohio  to  Washington,  stopping  over 
night  at  Grafton,  West  Virginia,  in  order  to  cross 
the  Alleghany  Mountains  by  daylight,  This  trip 
was  a  most  delightful  one,  with  the  grand  scenery, 
composed  of  mountain  pines  and  dashing  streams. 

After  passing  over  the  summit  of  the  mountain, 
the  train  ran  at  an  enormous  speed,  and,  when  it 
reached  one  of  the  short  curves  which  are  so  nu 
merous  on  that  line,  it  seemed  as  if  the  cars  had 
no  intention  of  following  the  engine,  but  were 
about  to  be  dashed  to  destruction  into  the  depths 
below.  At  last  we  safely  reached  Harper's  Ferry. 
This  is  the  place  where  John  Brown,  with  a  few 
followers,  undertook  the  task  of  liberating  the 
slaves,  before  the  war  broke  out,  but  was  arrested 
and  executed  for  his  foolhardy  act.  His  soul  has 
been  marching  on  ever  since,  so  I  think  it  must 
be  far  from  here  by  this  time.  I  saw7  the  ruins  of 
the  old  Confederate  fort  which  was  destroyed  by 
the  Union  forces  during  the  War  of  Rebellion. 


124  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

1  next  crossed  the  Potomac  River  over  a  fine 
bridge,  then  journeyed  along  the  valley  of  the 
Potomac  to  Washington,  at  which  place  I  visited 
all  the  public  buildings  and  places  of  interest, 
namely,  the  Capitol,  the  White  House,  Patent 
Office,  War  Museum,  Smithsonian  Institute,  and 
the  Bureau  of  Printing  and  Engraving,  where  the 
paper  currency  is  made.  The  government  em 
ploys  one  thousand  two  hundred  persons  at  this 
place,  consisting  of  eight  hundred  women  and 
four  hundred  men.  I  also  saw  the  spot  in  the 
railroad  depot  where  Garfield  was  shot.  It  is 
marked  by  a  star  in  the  floor. 

I  took  a  trip  down  the  Potomac  to  Mt.  Vernon, 
the  home  and  tomb  of  Washington.  On  the  way 
I  landed  at  Alexandria  in  Virginia.  This  place 
figured  largely  in  the  late  war.  It  was  in  this 
place  that  the  Marshall  House  was  rebuilt  on  the 
site  of  the  hotel  in  which  Colonel  Ellsworth  wyas 
shot,  in  1861,  for  pulling  down  a  Confederate  flag. 
Christ  Church,  of  which  Washington  was  a  ves 
tryman,  is  in  this  city.  It  was  built  in  1773,  of 
brick  brought  from  England. 

I  took  a  trip  to  the  National  Military  Cemetery 
at  Arlington,  a  vast  field  of  the  nation's  dead. 
There,  under  the  shade  of  noble  oaks,  are  buried 
sixteen  thousand  two  hundred  and  sixty-four 
soldiers  of  the  War  of  the  Rebellion;  of  these, 
eleven  thousand  nine  hundred  and  fifteen  are 
known,  and  four  thousand  three  hundred  and 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  125 

forty-nine  are  unknown.     The  following  are  some 
of  the  inscriptions  engraved  on  a  few  of  the  stones: 

"No  rumor  of  the  foe's  advance 
Now  sweeps  upon  the- wind; 
No  troubled  thoughts  at  midnight  haunts 
Of  loved  ones  left  behind." 

"Rest  on,  embalmed  and  sainted  dead, 

Dear  as  the  blood  ye  gave  ; 
No  impious  footstep  here  shall  tread 
The  herbage  of  your  grtive." 

"  Your  own  proud  land's  heroic  soil 

Must  be  your  fitter  grave ; 
She  claims  from  war  his  richest  spoil, 
The  ashes  of  the  brave." 

The  entire  Arlington  estate  consists  of  one 
thousand  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  of  which 
two  hundred  acres  are  inclosed  by  a  fine  wall  for 
the  cemetery.  It  was  once  the  home  of  Robert 
E.  Lee,  but  it  now  belongs  to  the  United  States 
Government.  Fort  Whipple  is  located  on  this 
ground,  and  is  the  headquarters  for  the  signal 
service.  One  of  the  great  sights  to  be  seen  at 
Washington  is  the  Washington  Monument.  It 
is  now  four  hundred  and  thirty  feet  high  and 
fifty-five  feet  square  at  the  bnse,  but,  when  com 
pleted,  it  will  be  five  hundred  and  fifty  feet  high 
and  thirty  feet  square  at  the  top.  It  will 'be  the 
highest  artificial  structure  in  the  world,  and  will 
rise  many  feet  above  the  cathedral  spires  and 
monuments  in  Europe  and  the  East.  It  will  be 
fifteen  feet  higher  than  the  main  tower  of  the 


126 


LIFE    AND    TRAVELS. 


new  City  Hall  in  Philadelphia,  forty-four  feet 
higher  than  the  great  cathedral  at  Cologne,  and 
ninety-five  feet  higher  than  the  St.  Peter's  at  Rome. 
It  is  built  of  fine  marble.  Each  State  in  the 
Union  has  contributed  a  block  of  marble,  finely 
carved  and  engraved,  to  be  used  in  its  construc 
tion. 

On  leaving  Washington  I  went  via  the  Penn 
sylvania  Railroad  to  New  York,  passing  through 
Baltimore  and  Philadelphia.  I  made  a  short  stay 
at  New  York,  as  I  had  visited  that  place  a  short 
time  before.  Leaving  here  I  went  by  the  New 
York  and  New  Haven  route  to  Springfield,  Mass., 
and  then  via  the  Boston  and  Albany  road  to  Bos 
ton.  On  the  way  we  passed  through  Hartford, 
Connecticut,  where  the  old  Charter  Oak  once  stood! 
On  my  arrival  at  Boston  I  paid  a  visit  to  some  old 
friends,  formerly  of  California.  I  then  went  to 
New  Bedford,  where  I  visited  with  relatives  for 
a  few  weeks,  and  then  started  on  a  trip  to  Maine 
and  New  Hampshire. 


CHAPTER    VI. 

A    TRIP    TO    MAINE    AND    NEW    HAMPSHIRE. 

ft 

HIS  trip  was  taken  about  the  middle  of 
June,  1884.  I  stopped  over  at  Boston 
and  witnessed  the  celebration  of  the  one 
hundred  and  ninth  anniversary  of  the  Battle  of 
Bunker  Hill.  The  procession  was  fine.  The  line 
of  march  was  around  Bunker  Hill,  or  Monument 
Square,  in  Charleston,  Massachusetts.  Monument 
Square  is  on  the  top  of  the  hill  and  comprises 
four  acres  of  ground,  in  the  center  of  which  stands 
the  Bunker  Hill  Monument.  It  is  two  hundred 
and  twenty-one  feet  high,  thirty  feet  square  at  the 
base,  and  fifteen  feet  at  the  top,  and  is  built  of 
solid  granite.  It  has  a  flight  of  winding  stairs  to 
the  top,  from  which  a  fine  view  of  the  surrounding 
country  is  to  be  had. 

During  my  stay  in  Boston  I  enjoyed  a  drive  of 
some  fifteen  miles  out  in  the  country,  passing 
through  several  fine  New  England  villages.  I 

(127) 


128  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

then  left  Boston  via  the  Boston  and  Maine  Rail 
road  en  route  to  Portland,  passing  through  some 
large  manufacturing  towns,  namely,  Lawrence 
and  Haverhill  in  Massachusetts,  Exeter  and  Dover 
in  New  Hampshire,  Biddeford  andSaco  in  Maine. 
Portland  is  a  pretty  place,  but  business  was  very 
dull.  The  Maine  "liquor  law"  was  in  full  blast, 
but,  as  I  am  not  in  the  habit  of  drinking  intoxi 
cating  liquors  to  any  extent,  the  law  did  not  af 
fect  me  much. 

From  Portland  I  took  a  trip  to  Lewiston  via 
the  Maine  Central,  where  I  found  my  old  friend 
of  the  Lewiston  Journal,  who  had  been  my  travel 
ing  companion  in  Palestine  a  year  before.  Lewis- 
town  is  the  largest  manufacturing  town  in  the 
State.  It  has  some  ten  or  twelve  large  cotton 
mills  and  several  large  shoe  factories.  It  lies  on 
the  bank  of  the  Androscoggin  River,  which  fur 
nishes  the  city  with  tine  water  power.  On  the 
opposite  bank  of  the  river  is  the  city  of  Auburn, 
which  is  to  Lewiston  what  Oakland  is  to  San 
Francisco,  or  Brooklyn  to  New  York. 

From  Lewiston  I  returned  to  Portland  and 
thence  via  the  Portland  and  Ogdenburg  Railroad 
to  the  Crawford  House,  in  the  White  Mountains. 
On  our  way  we  passed  by  Lake  Sebago,  a  fine 
body  of  water  twrelve  miles  long  and  nine  miles 
wide.  It  receives  the  water  of  twenty-three  ponds. 
This  lake  forms  the  water  supply  for  Portland. 
There  are  twro  small  steamers  making  daily  trips 
plying  between  the  towns. 


UWVtKSI  1 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  129 

Our  next  place  of  note,  after  passing  along  the 
Saco  River,  with  Mt.  Kearsarge  and  the  hotel  on 
its  summit,  and  several  other  high  peaks  in  view, 
was  the  Willey  House,  in  the  Crawford  Notch,  New 
Hampshire,  where,  in  June,  1826,  two  slides  fell 
off  Mt.  Willey  near  the  house,  which  caused  the 
family  to  move  farther  up  the  mountain  to  what 
they  supposed  was  a  safer  place;  but,  on  the  night 
of  the  28th  of  August,  a  deluge  of  rain  fell,  caus 
ing  another  slide,  which  buried  the  whole  family, 
— Mr.  and  Mrs.  Willey  and  their  five  children  and 
two  hired  men.  The  bodies  of  three  of  the  chil 
dren  were  never  found,  and  the  others  were  sadly 
mutilated. 

On  arriving  at  the  Crawford  House,  which  is 
located  at  the  entrance  of  the  Crawford  Notch 
fronting  the  Saco  Lake  and  hemmed  in  on  all 
sides  by  high  mountain  peaks,  I  went  to  the  top 
of  Mt.  Willey,  four  thousand  four  hundred  and 
seventy  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  The  view 
from  this  point  is  very  grand,  but  not  so  extended 
as  that  which  can  be  obtained  from  Mt.  Washing 
ton,  which  I  afterwards  visited.  It  is  the  highest 
peak  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  north  of 
the  Carolinas,  being  six  thousand  two  hundred 
and  eighty-three  feet  high.  On  account  of  this 
elevation,  it  has  the  same  climate  as  the  middle 
of  Greenland  at  seventy  degrees  north  latitude. 
A  fine  hotel,  a  signal  station,  and  a  fine  spring  of 
water  are  on  the  very  top  of  Mt.  Washington.  It 
9 


130  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

is  estimated  that  about  ten  thousand  people  visit 
there  every  summer.  From  the  summit  we  have 
a  view  of  one  thousand  miles  in  circumference, 
and  within  this  circle  can  be  seen  scores  of  vil 
lages  and  hamlets,  and  hundreds  of  mountains, 
with  the  valleys  of  the  chief  rivers  of  New  En 
gland,  also  a  part  of  five  different  States,  and  the 
Province  of  Quebec. 

Before  the  railroad  was  built  to  the  top  of  this 
mountain,  there  were  several  lives  lost  from  ex 
posure.  In  1851  there  was  a  young  graduate  of 
Oxford  University  by  the  name  of  Strickland, 
who  went  up  the  Crawford  path  and  perished  by 
falling  over  the  cliff.  In  1855  Miss  Lizzie  Bourne 
went  from  the  Glen  House  on  foot;  when  within 
thirty  rods  of  the  summit,  which  was  veiled  in  a 
fog,  she  sat  down  to  rest,  and  died  there.  The 
spot  is  marked  by  a  pile  of  stone  near  the  railroad. 
In  1856  Benjamin  Chadler  got  lost  on  the  Glen 
House  path,  and  died  from  exposure.  His  re 
mains  were  found  a  year  later.  In  1874  a  young 
man  from  Pennsylvania  strayed  from  the  same 
path  and  has  never  been  heard  of  since.  The  rail 
way  is  three  miles  in  length  and  is  propelled  by 
a  cog  wheel  running  in  cogs  in  the  center  of  the 
track.  The  average  grade  is  one  thousand  three 
hundred  feet  to  the  mile,  and  the  steepest  is 
thirteen  and  one-half  inches  to  the  yard.  There 
are  nine  curves  on  the  road,  varying  from  four 
hundred  and  ninety-seven  to  nine  hundred  and 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  131 

forty-five  feet  radius.  The  ascent  takes  one  and 
one-half  hours,  and  the  fare  is  $6.00  for  the  round 
trip.  A  similar  road  has  since  been  built  on  Mt. 
Rigi,  in  Switzerland.  There  is  one  of  the  same 
kind  on  a  high  bluff  back  of  Vienna,  in  Austria. 

Among  the  many  fine  places  to  be  seen  from 
the  Crawford  House  is  the  Idlewild,  a  fine  forest 
which  overlooks  the  Saco  Lake.  This  glen  is 
provided  with  rustic  seats  and  tables,  and  from  its 
position  on  a  high  bluff  pretty  views  are  to  be 
enjoyed. 

From  the  Crawford  House  I  went  to  the  town 
of  Bethlehem,  not  the  town  where  our  Saviour 
was  born,  but  a  small  New  England  village  in 
New  Hampshire.  This  place  is  devoted  almost 
entirely  to  summer  boarders,  and  is  nearly  de 
serted  in  winter.  It  has  between  twenty  and 
thirty  large  hotels  and  boarding  houses,  which 
can  accommodate  from  two  to  three  thousand 
persons,  and  all  are  filled  during  the  season. 
The  trip  to  the  summit  of  Mt.  Washington  and 
back  can  be  made  in  a  day. 

My  next  stopping  place  was  at  the  Profile  House, 
at  the  north  end  of  the  Franconia  Notch,  in  a 
narrow  glen  between  the  walls  of  Eagle  Cliff' and 
Mt.  Canaan.  The  glen  is  one  thousand  nine  hun 
dred  and  seventy-four  feet  above  the. level  of  the 
sea.  The  Profile  House  stands  on  the  highest 
point  of  any  house  in  those  mountains  except  the 
Summit  House,  and  it  is  said  to  be  one  of  the 


132  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

best-kept  hotels  in  the  United  States.  The  Profile 
(formerly  called  the  old  man  of  the  mountains)  is 
a  wonderful  semblance  of  the  human  face,  formed 
by  the  ledges  on  the  upper  cliffs  of  Mt.  Canaan. 
It  is  the  most  remarkable  phenomenon  of  the  kind 
in  the  world.  It  is  formed  of  three  disconnected 
ledges  of  granite  in  different  vertical  lines,  their 
aggregate  height  being  from  thirty-six  to  forty 
feet  and  their  height  above  the  lake  one  thousand 
two  hundred  feet.  One  rock  forms  the  forehead, 
another  the  nose  and  upper  lip,  and  a  third  the 
massive  chin.  Profile  Lake  is  a  pretty  sheet  of 
water,  and  lies  directly  under  the  Profile.  It  was 
formerly  called  the  Old  Man's  Washbowl.  There 
is  another  lake  north  of  the  hotel,  called  Echo 
Lake.  There  is  a  small  cannon  there,  which  will 
be  fired  off  on  the  payment  of  fifty  cents,  and  the 
echoes  are  heard  in  the  adjacent  mountains. 

From  the  Profile  House  to  Woodstock,  a  dis 
tance  of  ten  miles,  is  made  by  stage  through  the 
notch.  About  half  way  through  is  the  Flume 
House,  at  which  place  I  stopped  over  a  short  time 
in  order  to  visit  the  flume  and  pool.  The  flume 
is  about  three-fourths  of  a  mile  from  the  hotel, 
and  is  reached  by  a  good  carriage  road,  which 
crosses  the  Pemigewasset  River  and  stops  near 
the  flume.  The  flume  is  a  fissure  in  Mt,  Flume's 
side,  and  through  this  runs  a  rapid  little  brook. 
It  is  about  seven  hundred  feet  long,  with  walls 
sixty  to  seventy  feet  high,  perpendicular  and 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  133 

parallel,  and  from  ten  to  twenty  feet  from  each 
other.  A  plank  walk  passes  through  the  gorge, 
crossing  the  stream  several  times.  The  pool  is  a 
gloomy  chasm  in  the  forest  where  the  Pemigewas- 
set  flows  into  a  deep  basin  surrounded  by  high 
cliffs.  It  is  over  one  hundred  feet  in  diameter, 
and  the  water  is  forty  feet  deep. 

After  leaving  here  I  went  on  to  Woodstock  and 
thence  by  rail  through  the  beautiful  Pemigewas- 
set  Valley  to  Plymouth.  This  village  is  one  of 
the  most  beautiful  in  New  Hampshire.  It  is  situ 
ated  at  the  junction  of  the  Pemigewasset  and 
Baker  Rivers.  It  is  the  county  seat  of  Graf  ton 
County,  and  is  the  site  of  the  State  Normal  School. 
The  old  courthouse,  which  was  taken  down  in 
1875  and  a  new  one  erected  in  its  stead,  was  the 
place  where  Daniel  Webster  delivered  his  first 
plea  before  a  jury.  The  chief  business  of  the 
place  is  the  manufacturing  of  the  so-called  Ply 
mouth  buck  gloves.  Eleven  firms  are  engaged  in 
this  industry,  producing  one  hundred  and  thirty 
thousand  pairs  of  gloves  annually. 

On  leaving  here  I  went  to  Weirs,  on  the  shore 
of  Lake  Winnepesaukee,  where  the  trains  of  the 
Boston,  Concord,  and  Montreal  Railroad  connect 
with  the  steamer  Lady  of  the  Lake.  This  lake  is 
nineteen  miles  long  and  eight  and  one-fourth 
miles  wide.  Near  the  shore  are  steep  hills.  One 
of  the  chief  elements  in  the  scenery  is  the  great 
archipelago,  which  rises  in  the  lake  and  consists 


134 


LIFE    AND    TRAVELS. 


of  two  hundred  and  thirty-seven  islands,  several 
of  which  are  inhabited.  They  vary  in  size  from 
five  hundred  acres  to  less  than  ten  acres.  Accord 
ing  to  my  idea  there  is  nothing  in  Europe  of  the 
kind  that  can  surpass  the  beauty  of  this  lake  and 
mountain  scenery  as  viewed  from  a  trip  across  the 
lake.  Winnepesaukee  is  an  Indian  name,  and  it 
is  said  there  are  no  fish  in.  the  lake,  for  the  reason 
that  they  all  break  their  necks  trying  to  pronounce 
the  name  of  the  lake. 

My  next  stopping  place  was  at  Concord,  the 
capital  of  New  Hampshire.  It  is  a  very  pretty 
city  and  quite  a  large  railroad  center.  This  is  the 
place  in  which  I  spent  my  first  five  years  in  rail 
roading.  From  here  I  went  to  Nashua  and  thence 
to  New  Bedford,  Massachusetts,  where  I  spent  a 
short  time  and  then  started  for  another  trip  to 
New  Hampshire. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

A  TRIP  TO  THE  NORTHERN  PART  OF  NEW  HAMPSHIRE. 


fURING  the  summer  of  1884,  after  my  trip 
'to  the  White  Mountains,  I  left  New  Bedford 
'for  a  visit  to  the  home  of  my  childhood, 
Warren,  situated  in  the  northern  part  of  New 
Hampshire.  This  place  has  become  quite  promi 
nent  in  the  last  few  years  as  a  summer  resort,  on 
account  of  its  beautiful  mountain  scenery  and 
trout  brooks,  of  which  there  are  more  than  one 
hundred.  There  are  several  very  pretty  cascades, 
the  most  picturesque  being  Hurricane  Brook, 
which  falls  from  the  side  of  Mount  Car,  southeast 
of  the  village.  Here,  also,  are  found  the  Wate- 
iiomee  Falls  and  Middle  Cascades,  where  the  water 
descends  over  high,  step-like  ledges  for  two  hun 
dred  feet  or  more.  Baker's  River  rises  north  of 
Warren,  east  of  Mt.  Moosilauke,  and  flows  into 
the  Pemiquasset,  near  the  town  of  Plymouth.  Its 

(135) 


3ti  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

present   name  was  given   in   honor   of  Captain 
Baker,  a  soldier  of  the  Indian  wars. 

There  are  several  high  mountains  in  Warren 
and  vicinity,  but  the  only  one  that  I  climbed  to 
the  top  of  and  intend  to  describe  is  the  Moosilauke. 
It  is  the  highest  elevation  in  New  Hampshire  west  of 
Lafayette,  and  is  four  thousand  eight  hundred  and 
eleven  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.     It  is  one  of 
the  best  sight  points  in  the  State,  giving  a  grand 
view  of  the  Franconia  and  White  Mountains,  and 
overlooking  the  rich  Connecticut  Valley  for  miles. 
The  mountain  is  composed  of  a  high  and  pointed 
south    peak  and   a  broad  plateau  on   the  north, 
joined  by  a  narrow  ridge  and  flanked  by  wooded 
foothills.     The  plateau  is  covered  with  loose  stones 
and   has  but  little   slope.     The   Prospect   House 
stands  on  the  south  side.     The  mountain  is  sep 
arated  from  the  Blue  Ridge  by  the  gorge  in  which 
rises  the  Baker  River,  and  from  Mount  Clough  on 
the  northwest  by  a  low  and  traversable  pass.     On 
the  east  side  of  the  mountain  is  a  deep  gorge,  or 
ravine,  in  whose  upper  part  the  Seven  Cascades 
are  located.     This  ravine  is  one   of  the   wildest 
places  in  the  State,  and  is  difficult  to  traverse  on 
account  of  its  dense  forest.     Besides  the  Prospect 
House  there  is  a  summer  boarding  house  at  the 
foot  of  the  mountain,  five  or  six  miles  from  War 
ren.     The   houses   are   well    managed,   and   the 
charges  are  moderate. 

The  distance  to  the  top  of  the  mountain  is  about 


JAMES  BATCH  ELDER.  137 

four  and  one-half  miles,  and  the  ascent  is  not  dif 
ficult  to  make  by  carriage.  The  ridge  is  met  a 
little  way  north  of  the  south  peak,  and  is  followed 
to  the  north,  with  broad  views  on  either  side. 
Soon  we  are  out  on  the  Bald  Mountain  ridge, 
which  connects  the  two  peaks.  On  either  hand 
are  wild  and  hideous  gorges,  three  thousand 
feet  down  into  the  depths  below.  The  view  from 
the  summit  of  this  mountain  is  grand  in  the  ex 
treme.  The  view  extends  for  hundreds  of  miles 
in  every  direction,  composed  of  vast  fields,  moun 
tains,  lakes  and  rivers,  and  dotted  with  hundreds 
of  villages  and  hamlets.  Among  the  noted  moun 
tains  to  be  seen  from  it  are  the  Presidential  Range 
of  White  Mountains,  the  Franconia  Range,  the 
Green  Mountains  in  Vermont,  Saddle  and  Grey- 
lock  Mountains  in  Massachusetts.  Nine  sharp 
peaks  of  the  Adirondracks  in  New  York  State  can 
also  be  plainly  seen,  besides  innumerable  summits 
from  the  table-lands  of  Canada.  Hundreds  of 
tourists  visit  this  mountain  every  year  from  all 
parts  of  the  Union,  and,  as  Warren  is  the  termi 
nus  of  the  railroad,  the  summer  travel  has  done 
much  towards  building  the  place  up.  On  leaving 
the  mountains  I  returned  to  the  old  farm  where  I 
was  born  and  lived  till  I  was  ten  years  old,  and 
where  my  elder  brother  still  resides,  having  spent 
nearly  sixty  years  of  his  life  there.  After  a  so 
journ  of  about  three  weeks,  roving  over  hills, 
climbing  the  rocks,  and  viewing  the  same  famil- 


138 


LIFE    AND    TRAVELS. 


iar  scenes  of  my  happy  childhood  days,  with 
a  sad  heart  I  bade  a  long,  and,  perhaj  s,  a  final 
adieu  to  my  old  home  and  relatives  there.  I  feel 
truly  thankful  to  the  kind  Providence  who  has 
been  with  and  watched  over  me  during  all  the 
long  years  of  our  separation.  My  best  wishes  will 
ever  be  with  my  old  friends,  and  relatives,  even 
though  I  may  never  see  them  again. 

From  Warren  I  went  to  Nashua,  New  Hamp 
shire,  where  I  visited  other  relatives  for  a  few 
days,  and  then  went  to  New  Bedford  and  re 
mained  a  short  time,  after  which  T  took  a  short 
trip  to  Canada. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

A    TRIP    TO    CANADA    AND    THE    LAKES. 

]& 

^EAVING  New  Bedford,  Massachusetts, 
^  about  the  last  of  August,  I  passed  through 
Boston,  Concord,  and  White  River  Junc 
tion  to  Burlington,  Vermont.  This  is  a  fine  city  of 
about  ten  thousand  inhabitants.  It  lies  on  a  high 
bluff  on  the  shore  of  Lake  Champlain,  and  is  one 
of  the  oldest  towns  in  New  England.  The  State 
University  is  located  there. 

From  Burlington  I  went  across  the  lake  to 
Plattsburg,  New  York,  and  visited  the  noted  bat 
tle  field,  of  Plattsburg.  From  here  I  went  to 
Ogdensburg,  thence  down  the  St.  Lawrence  River 
to  Montreal.  On  the  way  we  passed  through 
rapids  where  the  water  runs  at  the  rate  of  fifteen 
or  twenty  miles  per  hour,  which  made  it  quite 
exciting  for  most  everyone  on  board  the  steamer. 
The  passage  on  the  Long  Sault  rapids  is  thrilling. 
An  Indian  pilot  came  on  board  to  pilot  us  through. 

(139) 


140  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

The  rapids  are  nine  miles  long  and  are  divided  by 
an  island  in  the  center.  We  made  the  distance 
in  thirty  minutes  without  steam.  As  vessels  can 
not  ascend  the  rapids,  canals  have  been  cut  in  the 
land  and  supplied  with  locks  wherever  the  rapids 
occur.  In  the  descent  of  the  Lachine  rapids  we 
were  wrought  to  a  higher  degree  of  excitement 
than  while  descending  the  Long  Sault.  It  is  an 
intense  sensation.  We  seem  to  be  hurrying  onto 
a  rock,  and  are  within  an  ace  of  total  destruction 
when  the  vessel  yields  her  helm  and  sweeps  into 
another  channel,  and  then  on  until  we  reach  calm 
water. 

Montreal  is  a  pretty  place  and  resembles  very 
much  some  of  our  American  cities.  It  has  fine 
buildings  and  parks.  Mt.  Royal  Park  is  situated 
on  a  high  hill  back  of  the  city.  A  winding  road 
way  leads  to  the  top  of  it,  which  overlooks  the 
city  and  country  for  miles  around.  Among  the 
noted  sights  to  be  seen  in  Montreal  is  the  Victoria 
bridge.  It  is  nearly  two  miles  in  length,  and  is 
supported  by  twenty -four  piers  and  two  abutments 
of  solid  masonry.  The  tube  through  which  the 
railway  track  is  laid  is  twenty-two  feet  high  and 
sixteen  feet  wide,  and  cost  $6,300,000. 

The  Cathedral  of  Notre  Dame  is  a  fine  and 
massive  structure,  capable  of  holding  ten  thousand 
people.  It  is  the  finest  church  on  the  continent, 
and  has  a  front  on  the  square  of  one  hundred 
and  fifty  feet,  It  comprises  seven  chapels  and 
nine  aisles.  It  has  six  towers,  of  which  the  two 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  141 

on  the  main  front  are  two  hundred  and  thirteen 
feet  in  height.  Its  chief  window  is  sixty*four  feet 
high  and  thirty-six  feet  broad.  In  one  of  the 
front  towers  is  an  elevator  for  the  accommodation 
of  people  who  wish  to  go  to  the  top,  where  a  lovely 
view  of  the  river,  city,  and  surrounding  country 
can  be  had.  The  Windsor  Hotel  is  as  fine  a 
structure,  and  as  well  managed,  as  any  on  this 
continent. 

On  leaving  here  I  went  down  the  river  to  Que 
bec.  This  place  was  founded  by  Samuel  de  Cham- 
plain,  July  3,  1603,  and  in  1020  Fort  St.  Louis 
was  built.  Since  that  time  there  have  been  sev 
eral  wars  between  the  French  and  English,  until 
the  famous  battle  was  fought  on  the  Plains  of 
Abraham,  on  September  13,  1759,  between  the  En 
glish  under  General  Wolfe  and  the  French  under 
General  Montcalm.  Both  generals  were  killed, 
but  the  English  won  the  day.  Then  in  1763 
Canada  was  ceded  to  England  by  treaty.  Quebec 
is  the  second  strongest  fortified  city  in  the  world, 
Gibraltar  being  the  strongest,  The  fort,  or  citadel, 
stands  on  a  high  hill  above  the  city  and  com 
mands  a  very  picturesque  view.  During  the  Rev 
olutionary  War  this  city  was  blockaded  by  Mont 
gomery  and  Arnold,  in  the  year  1775.  During 
the  same  year,  as  Montgomery  was  scaling  the 
walls  on  the  bluff  of  the  fort,  he  was  discovered 
and  shot  by  a  sentinel.  He  fell  to  the  ground,  a 
distance  of  three  hundred  and  sixty-five  feet.  The 


142  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

house  in  which  he  was  laid  out  still  stands  and  is 
one  of  the  objects  of  interest  shown  to  visitors. 

There  are  a  great  many  things  to  be  seen  in 
Quebec  and  vicinity,  that  will  interest  a  stranger, 
among  which  are  Wolfe's  monument, on  the  Plains 
of  Abraham,  the  Governor's  garden,  the  Citadel, 
the  Terrace,  and  the  Falls  of  Montgomery.  The 
falls  are  two  hundred  and  seventy  feet  high. 
They  are  deep  set  in  a  small  bay,  or  chasm,  and 
descend  in  a  sheet  seventy-five  feet  wide,  broken 
midway  by  an  immense  rock  hidden  beneath  the 
foam.  They  and  their  surroundings  form  a  beau 
tiful  picture. 

From  Quebec  I  went  to  Sherbrook  and  then  to 
Newport,  Vermont,  the  famous  summer  resort, 
situated  on  Lake  Memphremagog.  This  lake  is 
from  one  to  two  miles  in  width  and  thirty  miles 
long.  About  two-thirds  of  it  is  in  Canada  and 
the  rest  in  Vermont.  An  excursion  down  the 
lake  on  one  of  their  fine  steamers,  Mountain  Maid 
or  Lady  of  the  Lake,  is  a  most  delightful  experience. 
Memphremagog  is  an  Indian  word  and  signifies 
lake  of  abundance.  The  scenery  about  this  lake 
very  much  resembles  that  of  Loch  Lomond,  the 
queen  of  the  Scottish  lakes.  There  are  upwards 
of  twenty  islands  in  this  lake,  the  largest  being- 
one  hundred  miles  in  extent  and  known  as  Prov 
ince  Island.  The  Owl's  Head  Mt.  House  is  a 
beautiful  summer  resort,  situated  at  the  base  of 
Owl's  Head  Mountain,  twelve  miles  from  Newport 


JAMKS    BATCHELDER.  143 

and  eighteen  miles  from  Magog,  at  the  outlet  of 
the  lake.  The  summit  of  the  mountain  is  three 
thousand  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  From 
its  rugged  top  a  most  charming  panorama  is 
spread  out  before  the  eye. 

From  here  I  went  to  Wells  River,  thence  to 
Concord,  New  Hampshire,  the  capital  of  my  na 
tive  State.  This  is  a  beautiful  city  of  about  four 
teen  thousand  inhabitants.  It  supports  eleven 
churches,  two  daily  papers,  and  seven  banks.  The 
famous  Concord  wagons  and  coaches  are  made 
there,  giving  employment  to  two  hundred  and 
fifty  men.  There  are,  also,  large  granite  quarries, 
which  give  employment  to  about  five  hundred 
and  ten  men.  They  turn  out  nearly  $800,000 
worth  of  stone  annually.  The  State  House  is  a 
fine  granite  building  surmounted  by  a  dome,  from 
which  a  grand  view  of  the  surrounding  country 
can  be  obtained. 

I  next  went  to  Nashua,  in  the  same  State.  This 
place  has  about  ten  thousand  inhabitants,  and  is 
a  large  manufacturing  city  in  cotton  goods,  iron 
works,  locomotives,  locks,  and  many  other  articles. 
Its  water  power  is  derived  from  the  Nashua  River. 
The  city  was  founded  in  1823  on  a  sandy  plain. 
A  branch  railroad  runs  to  the  villages  of  Amherst, 
Mt.  Vernon,  and  Milton,  those  places  being  much 
frequented  by  summer  tourists. 

From  Nashua  I  went  to  New  Bedford,  Massa 
chusetts,  thus  completing  this  interesting  trip. 


144 


LIFE    AND    TRAVELS. 


After  remaining  there  for  a  short  time,  I  returned 
to  California.  New  Bedford  is  a  fine  city  of  about 
forty  thousand  inhabitants,  and  is  one  of  the 
oldest  towns  in  New  England.  It  dates  back  al 
most  to  the  time  of  the  landing  of  the  Pilgrim  Fath 
ers  on  Plymouth  Rock.  It  was  at  one  time  the 
largest  whaling  port  in  the  world.  That  industry 
has  now  drifted  to  the  Pacific  Coast  to  a  great 
extent.  Ne\v  Bedford's  capital  is  largely  invested 
in  manufactures.  During  the  summer  I  visited 
there  I  took  in  several  of  the  summer  resorts, 
such  as  Newport,  Say  Head,  Martha's  Vineyard, 
and  Nonsett  Bay.  I  also  visited  old  Plymouth 
Rock,  where  our  forefathers  landed  upwards  of 
two  hundred  years  ago. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

A  TRIP    THROUGH    THE    SOUTHERN   STATES  AND 
MEXICO. 

EAVING  New  Bedford  about  the  middle 
of  November,  1884, 1  started  for  California, 
via  the  Fall  River  line  to  New  York, 
then  to  Richmond,  Virginia,  passing  through 
Philadelphia,  Baltimore,  and  Washington  on  my 
way.  Richmond,  the  capital  of  Virginia,  was  the 
Confederate  capital  during  the  Rebellion.  It  was 
within  about  five  miles  of  there  that  General 
Robert  E.  Lee  surrendered  his  arn\y  to  General 
Grant,  which  event  ended  the  war.  While  there 
I  visited  the  old  Libby  Prison  and  Castle  Thunder, 
which  gained  so  much  notoriety  during  the  war 
for  the  ill  treatment  of  the  Union  soldiers  impris 
oned  there.  Castle  Thunder  has  been  burned 
down  since  then,  but  the  prison  still  stands  and 
is  used  for  a  tobacco  factory. 

On  leaving  Richmond  I  went  to  Danville.    This 
10  (145) 


146  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

is  a  large  tobacco  manufacturing  place  and  keeps 
about  one  hundred  and  thirty  factories  busily  en 
gaged.  From  Danville  I  went  to  Atlanta,  the 
capital  of  Georgia.  This  place  was  burned  dur 
ing  the  war  by  the  force  under  General  Sherman. 
It  was  the  starting  place  for  his  famous  inarch  to 
the  sea.  The  city  has  been  rebuilt  in  a  splendid 
style,  and  is  the  loveliest  business  place  in  the 
whole  South.  From  this  place  I  went  to  Montgom 
ery,  Alabama.  This  is  the  handsomest  city  in  the 
South,  and  was  the  capital  of  the  Confederate 
States  before  Richmond  became  the  capital.  After 
leaving  there  I  went  to  Mobile.  Business  was  at 
a  standstill  there,  and  the  buildings  were  old  and 
dingy.  It  was  a  brisk  business  place  before  the 
war. 

I  next  went  to  New  Orleans.  There  I  visited 
all  the  places  of  note,  including  the  Exposition 
buildings,  which  are  the  largest  of  the  kind  in 
the  world.  The  main  building  covers  thirty-three 
acres.  From  there  I  journeyed  to  Morgan  City  by 
rail,  thence  by  steamer  to  Vera  Cruz,  Mexico.  I 
stopped  on  my  way  three  hours  at  Galveston, 
Texas.  At  Vera  Cruz  we  encountered  a  heavy 
gale  from  the  north,  which  came  very  nearly  up 
setting  our  small  boat  as  we  were  being  trans 
ferred  from  the  steamer  to  the  shore.  We  man 
aged  to  get  through  all  right,  with  the  exception 
of  getting  our  clothes  and  baggage  well  soaked 
with  salt  water  from  the  spray  that  beat  into  the 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  147 

boat  at  every  splash  of  the  waves.  Vera  Cruz  is 
a  very  old  city,  and  was  the  principal  place  for 
landing  the  United  States  troops  during  the  war 
in  Mexico.  The  city  was  taken  by  Generals  Scott 
and  Taylor,  the  former  with  a  naval  force  in  front 
of  the  city,  and  the  latter  with  a  force  of  infantry 
on  land  back  of  the  city.  Both  forces  kept  up  a 
continuous  fire  until  the  opposite  side  was  com 
pelled  to  surrender. 

From  there  I  went  to  the  City  of  Mexico,  two 
hundred  and  sixty-three  miles  by  rail.  This  road 
passes  through  the  finest  part  of  the  republic. 
The  land  is  rich  and  fertile,  but  the  people  are 
too  lazy  and  indolent  to  cultivate  it  properly. 
There  are,  however,  some  fine  coffee  fields,  and 
tropical  fruits  grow  there  in  abundance.  As  a 
rule,  the  common  working  class  have  no  idea  of 
economy  or  of  providing  for  the  future;  the  lives 
of  most  of  them  seem  to  be  occupied  in  obtaining 
food  or  amusement  for  the  passing  hour  without 
either  hope  or  thought  for  the  future.  Their  pre 
vailing  vices  are  gambling,  fighting,  and  drunken 
ness. 

A  species  of  cactus,  or  century  plant,  grows 
there,  from  which  the  Mexicans  derive  food,  drink, 
and  raiment.  This  plant  grows  wild  in  the  moun 
tains,  and  springs  up  everywhere  in  patches  like 
weeds.  The  fiber  of  the  leaf  beaten  out  and  spun 
makes  a  beautiful  thread  called  pita,  which,  when 
woven  into  a  fabric,  is  like  linen.  The  rope  made 


148  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

from  it  is  called  manilla  hemp,  and  is  the  strong 
est  in  use.  It  is  cut  into  coarse  straws  to  make 
the  brooms  and  whitewash  brushes  used  in  that 
country,  and  is  also  a  good  substitute  for  bristles 
for  scrub  brushes.  It  even  supplies  the  place  of 
combs  among  the  common  people.  But  the  chief 
value  of  this  plant  is  the  intoxicating  drink, 
pulque,  which  is  made  from  it  and  of  which  the 
Mexicans  are  very  fond.  The  effects  of  this  bev 
erage  are  felt  soon  after  drinking,  making  those 
who  drink  it  wild  and  furious.  They  oftentimes 
fight  brutally  while  under  its  influence,  slashing 
each  other  with  their  machete*,  long  knives,  which 
they  all  carry.  The  combined  taste,  smell,  and 
color  of  the  liquid  suggests  spoiled  buttermilk  to 
the  Americans,  but,  strange  to  say,  the  natives 
think  it  one  of  the  most  delicious  drinks  in  the 
world.  It  is  said  to  be  healthful  and  an  excellent 
aid  to  digestion. 

In  coming  from  Vera  Cruz  to  the  City  of 
Mexico  I  passed  through  Jalapa,  where  this 
plant  grows  to  perfection.  From  the  Plains  of 
Apam,  about  sixty  miles  from  Mexico,  two  special 
pulque  trains  are  run  into  the  city  each  day,  sup 
plying  the  market  with  the  same  regularity  as  do 
the  milk  trains  which  supply  the  Eastern  cities. 
An  old  Indian  tradition  says,  "Paradise is  Mexico 
in  general,  but  the  Garden  of  Eden  is  Jalapa." 

On  our  way  from  Vera  Cruz  to  Mexico  we 
passed  through  the  city  of  Orizaba,  and  from  that 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  149 

point  had  a  fine  view  of  Mount  Orizaba,  the  star 
mountain  of  Mexico.  It  is  seventeen  thousand 
one  hundred  and  seventy-six  feet  above  the  level 
of  the  sea,  and  was  the  first  land  discovered  by 
those  who  reached  Mexico  by  the  way  of  the  gulf. 

After  leaving  Orizaba,  the  road  winds  round  on 
a  heavy  grade  through  fine  mountain  scenery  till 
it  readies  the  great  basin  where  the  City  of  Mexico 
lies.  The  bottom  of  this  great  basin  is  seven 
thousand  feet  above  the  sea.  and  is  hemmed  in  by 
two  hundred  miles  of  encircling  hills  and  moun 
tains,  many  of  which  have  been  active  volcanoes, 
but  are  now  quiet  and  covered  with  forests. 

Mount  Popocatapetl  is  the  highest  of  the  peaks, 
and  is  seventeen  thousand  five  hundred  and  forty 
feet  above  the  sea  level.  There  are  five  lakes 
in  the  valley.  Looking  west  it  is  fifty  miles  to 
the  foothills,  where  the  sky  and  mountains  seem 
to  blend,  forming  one  of  the  grandest  panoramas 
of  inland  views  I  have  ever  seen. 

The  City  of  Mexico  is  supplied  with  water  by 
two  aqueducts,  resting  on  strong  stone  arches. 
The  water  comes  from  a  mountain  stream  some 
twelve  miles  distant  and  from  a  spring  near  Cha- 
pultepec.  These  aqueducts  are  built  in  the  mid 
dle  of  a  wide  roadway,  with  drives  on  each  side. 

The  castle  of  Chapultepec  is  a  strong  fortifica 
tion  on  a  mound  in  the  middle  of  a  plain  some 
three  hundred  feet  high  and  about  three  miles 
west  from  the  heart  of  the  city.  The  city  has  a 


150  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

population  of  about  four  hundred  thousand.  It 
is  built  on  a  dead  level  plain,  and  the  streets  cross 
each  other  at  right  angles.  Looking  down  any 
street  in  any  direction  you  can  observe  its  end 
opening  into  the  country. 

The  great  cathedral  stands  on  the  north  side 
of  the  Plaza  de  Armas,  where  Cortez  and  his 
army  once  entered  the  city,  and  where  General 
Scott  massed  his  army  after  the  surrender  of  the 
city  in  1847.  The  plaza  is  eight  hundred  and  ten 
feet  long  and  six  hundred  feet  wide.  The  cathe 
dral  occupies  five  hundred  feet  in  length  and 
four  hundred  and  twenty  feet  in  breadtli  of 
this  plaza.  The  center  of  the  plaza  has  been 
planted  with  trees  and  laid  out  with  walks  inter 
spersed  with  flowers  and  shrubbery.  In  the  midst 
of  it  all  stands  a  platform  surrounded  by  an  iron 
railing,  where  military  bands  play  at  evening  re 
treats.  The  cathedral  is  the  largest  in  North 
America  and  is  a  grand  building.  It  was  begun 
in  the  year  1573,  and  was  completed  in  1667, 
being  nearly  one  hundred  years  in  process  of  erec 
tion. 

It  cost  a  little  less  than  $2,000,000.  It  is  in 
the  form  of  a  cross  four  hundred  and  twenty  feet 
long,  two  hundred  feet  wide,  and  one  hundred  and 
seventy-three  feet  high  at  the  dome,  with  two 
massive  towers  two  hundred  feet  high.  It  is 
richly  ornamented ;  the  high  altar  is  a  most 
imposing  mass  of  gilding.  It  has  five  naves,  six 


JAMES   BATCHELDER.  151 

altars,  and  fourteen  chapels.  The  decorations  sur 
pass  any  American  cathedral  I  have  ever  seen. 
The  great  men  of  Mexico  are  buried  there,  and 
among  them  are  the  remains  of  the  Emperor 
Iturbide.  The  cathedral  is  always  open,  and 
throngs  of  people  are  going  in  and  out  from  early 
morn  till  late  at  night.  To  ascend  the  tower,  one 
has  to  go  up  winding  stone  steps,  and  when  at  the 
top  is  rewarded  with  a  fine  view  of  the  city  and 
surrounding  country. 

Looking  southward,  we  could  see  the  roads, 
avenues,  and  fields  over  which  General  Scott 
fought  his  way  to  the  capital  from  St.  Augustine 
during  the  Mexican  War.  Most  of  the  houses  in, 
Mexico  seem  to  have  been  built  after  the  same 
plan.  Each  dwelling  surrounds  an  open  court, 
around  which  are  balconies  and  corridors,  with 
flowers  and  vines  trailing  up  and  down  them, 
forming  a  luxuriant  network;  many  of  the  courts 
have  fountains  playing  in  their  centers.  The 
outside  doors  of  the  houses  along  the  streets  are  all 
made  of  heavy  iron,  and  when  shut  and  bolted 
at  night,  the  inmates  are  as  safe  from  marauders 
as  they  would  be  if  they  were  within  the  prison 
walls. 

Mexico  can  boast  of  several  beautiful  drives 
and  parks.  The  Alameda  and  the  Pasca  de 
Bucareli,  two  of  the  finest,  extend  to  the  Greta  de 
Belen.  Seeing  the  people  of  both  sexes  out  on 
these  promenades  reminded  me  very  much  of  the 


152  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

Champs  Elysees  and  Bois  de  Boulogne,  in  Paris, 
or  Hyde  Park,  in  London,  the  difference  being  in 
number,  not  in  style,  as  they  all  seemed  to  be  in 
full  dress  parade.  The  Plaza  de  Toras,  contain 
ing  the  arena  for  fights  with  wild  beasts  and  the 
Spanish  Mutadores,  was  in  that  neighborhood, 
but  that  cruel  sport  is  not  in  practice  now.  The 
old  Spanish  sport  of  bullfights,  however,  is  still 
kept  up,  although  it  is  not  allowed  inside  the  city 
limits.  I  had  the  pleasure,  or,  rather,  the  misfor 
tune,  to  witness  a  bullfight  while  there,  and  con 
fess  it  to  be  one  of  the  most  cruel  and  disgusting 
sights  I  ever  witnessed. 

The  amphitheater  is  capable  of  holding  ten 
thousand  people,  and  it  was  filled  to  its  utmost 
capacity  with  every  class  of  people,  from  the  gov 
ernor  of  the  State  to  the  dirty  and  half-clad  peon. 
Most  all  the  natives  of  the  male  sex  cany  a  knife 
or  pistol  in  a  belt  which  is  worn  for  that  purpose. 
The  bullfights  are  carried  on  something  like  the 
circus  in  the  United  States.  The  fighters  are  men 
selected  and  educated  for  that  purpose,  and  give 
performances  the  year  round.  The  amphitheater 
is  circular  in  form  with  the  center  open  to  the 
sky.  The  arena  is  in  the  center,  and  is  about  one 
hundred  feet  in  diameter.  It  has  a  smooth  gravel 
floor,  and  is  surrounded  by  two  strong  fences 
about  six  feet  apart  and  eight  feet  high.  The 
second  fence  is  used  as  a  safeguard  for  the  audi 
ence,  in  case  the  bull  should  jump  over  or  break 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  153 

down  the  first  one.  In  four  places  in  the  arena, 
at  equal  distances  from  each  other,  are  partitions, 
six  feet  wide,  nearly  as  high  as  the  fence,  and  just 
far  enough  from  it  for  men  to  run  behind;  these 
are  the  only  protections  the  men  have  when 
closely  pursued  by  the  bull.  It  sometimes  seems 
impossible  for  them  to  escape  being  gored  by  the 
horns  of  the  bull  as  he  darts  behind  one  of  the 
partitions.  The  chief  of  the  bullfighters,  or 
swordsman,  is  the  one  who  kills  the  bull,  and  he 
is  called  El  Capstan. 

The  banderilla  is  a  barbed  spear  with  a  handle 
about  two  feet  long,  gaudily  ornamented  with  tinsel 
designs  and  streamers;  these  are  stuck  into  the 
bull's  hide,  tormenting  the  poor  brute  until  lu* 
becomes  furiously  savage,  and  dangle  at  his 
neck  and  side.  The  fighters  who  stick  these  into 
him  are  called  banderillas.  The  capa  is  a  bright 
red  cap  used  to  madden  the  bull  and  to  divert 
and  blind  him  when  making  an  attack.  The 
capadores  are  the  fighters  who  use  the  capa.  The 
pica  is  a  long  pole  with  a  sharp  steel  goad  in  the 
end.  The  picadores  are  the  horsemen  armed 
with  picas.  The  horses  are  blindfolded,  and  the 
bulls  are  allowed  to  gore  them  to  death  after  the 
proper  time  has  expired. 

The  death  blow  is  given  to  the  bull  with  a 
sword  three  feet  long,  having  a  stiff,  pointed 
blade.  The  El  Capitan  allures  him  on  to  an  at 
tack  and  then  plunges  the  sword  through  his  heart; 


154  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

if  the  blow  is  well  dealt,  the  animal  drops  dead  on 
the  spot.  The  first  thing  at  the  commencement 
is  the  grand  entering  of  the  bullfighters,  some 
ten  or  twelve  in  number,  some  on  horseback  and 
some  on  foot,  all  dressed  in  glaring,  gaudy  colors, 
marching  to  the  lively  air  played  by  the  brass 
band,  reminding  me  much  of  the  commencement 
of  a  circus  performance.  When  all  are  ready  for 
the  fight,  the  Capitan  throws  open  the  door  and 
flaunts  his  capa  before  the  entrance,  which  causes 
the  savage  beast  to  rush  through  to  avenge  the 
insult ;  as  he  passes,  a  man  perched  at  the  door 
thrusts  two  banderillas  into  his  back,  thus  increas 
ing  his  rage  and  causing  him  to  rush  headlong 
first  at  one  and  then  at  another  with  his  sharp 
horns.  The  feelings  of  the  people  are  wrought 
up  to  the  highest  pitch  of  excitement  as  one  after 
the  other  is  run  down.  Just  as  the  bull's  head 
lowers  for  the  terrible  toss,  the  banderillas  are 
thrust  one  on  either  side  of  his  neck,  and  the 
man  hastens  to  a  place  of  safety,  while  the  poor 
bull  bucks  and  bellows  furiously  with  rage  and 
pain.  Men  are  often  killed  during  these  fights 
and  I  was  told  that  when  such  a  thing  happens 
the  body  of  the  victim  is  dragged  out  of  the 
arena,  and  the  fight  is  continued  without  further 
interruption. 

After  the  fight  is  over,  the  lazadores  exhibit 
their  skill  with  the  lasso.  A  lot  of  wild  horses 
are  driven  to  the  arena,  and  while  being  pursued 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  155 

the  loop  is  thrown  around  the  legs  of  one  of  them  ; 
the  well-trained  horse  plants  his  feet  firmly  to  re 
ceive  the  shock,  as  the  other,  jerked  by  the  rope, 
loses  his  balance  and  is  thrown  to  the  ground. 
The  performance  is  kept  up  till  some  ten  or 
twelve  horses  are  th  rown  and  conquered.  Sunday 
afternoons  are  the  days  for  these  barbarous  ex 
hibitions,  that  being  the  gala  day  in  the  City  of 
Mexico. 

During  my  stay  I  visited  the  famous  Catholic 
Church  at  Guadaloupe.  It  is  the  most  richly 
ornamented  church  in  the  world.  The  altars, 
railings,  and  fences  connecting  the  two  altars  are 
all  covered  with  solid  silver  as  thick  as  a  case 
knife  blade,  which  gives  them  the  appearance  of 
being  made  of  solid  silver.  The  domes,  ceilings, 
and  ornaments  are  all  gilded  with  gold  leaf.  It 
is  a  very  ancient  structure,  and  was  built  during 
the  reign  of  Montezuma,  before  Cortez  entered 
the  City  of  Mexico,  in  1519. 

From  Mexico  I  went  to  El  Paso,  in  Texas,  and 
then  came  on  to  Oakland,  thus  completing  my 
journey  after  an  absence  of  eight  months,  during 
which  time  I  visited  all  the  principal  cities  in 
twenty-eight  States  and  three  Territories,  taking 
in,  also,  Canada  and  Mexico. 


CHAPTER  X. 

SHORT  TRIPS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

'URING  the  year  1885  my  trips  were  short, 
extending  only  over  a  small  scope  of  coun 
try.  I  visited  by  stage  and  carriage  several 
small  towns  and  farming  districts  in  the  valleys, 
where  I  saw  some  of  the  most  beautiful  fruit  or 
chards  and  vineyards  in  the  State.  A  part  of  the 
season  I  spent  in  San  Jose.  This  place  is  called 
the  Garden  City,  and  well  does  it  deserve  the  pleas 
ant  appellation,  for  it  is  one  of  the  most  delightful 
towns  on  the  Pacific  Coast.  San  Jose  approaches 
nearer  in  appearance  to  some  of  the  old  shady  New 
England  towns  than  any  other  city  in  California. 
The  streets  stretch  between  long  lines  of  beautiful 
shade  trees,  and  the  public  parks  and  private  gar 
dens  resemble  semi-tropical  groves. 

During  my  stay  in  this  city  of  gardens  1  took 
a  trip  to  the  summit  of  Mt.   Hamilton.     This  is 
the  site  of  the  Lick  Observatory,  which  is  being- 
built  with  the  $700,000  donated  for  that  purpose 
(156) 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  157 

by  the  late  James  Lick,  who  died  in  1876.  This 
gift  was  made  to  the  State  of  California  on  condi 
tion  that  the  county  of  Santa  Clarashould  construct 
a  road  to  the  summit.  This  proposition  was  ac 
cepted,  and  the  road  was  constructed  and  com 
pleted  in  1876,  costing  $80,000.  There  is  not  -a 
more  magnificent  mountain  road  existing  in  the 
United  States.  It  rises  four  thousand  feet  in 
twenty-two  miles.  The  first  four  miles  of  the 
twenty-six  are  over  a  level  avenue.  The  summit 
is  four  thousand  three  hundred  and  two  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  sea.  The  road  is  very 
crooked  and  winds  around  immense  horseshoe 
curves  until  we  seem  to  be  returning  to  the  very 
point  from  which  we  started. 

For  seven  miles  we  face,  in  our  constant  wind 
ings,  every  point  of  the  compass.  The  grade  in 
no  place  exceeds  three  hundred  and  forty-three 
feet  to  the  mile  until  it  reaches  the  summit  of  the 
main  mountain,  where  a  grand  view  of  the  sur 
rounding  country  may  be  had. 

Santa  Clara  Valley  and  the  Santa  Cruz  Moun 
tains  are  to  the  west;  a  bit  of  the  Pacific  Ocean 
and  Monterey  Bay  are  to  the  southwest;  the  count 
less  ranges  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  are  to  the  south 
east;  to  the  north  are  the  many  lower  ranges  of 
hills;  and  against  the  horizon  is  Lassen  Butte,  one 
hundred  and  seventy-five  miles  away.  The  bay 
of  San  Francisco  lies  spread  out  before  you,  and 
beyond  it  is  Mt.  Tamalpais,  at  the  entrance  to  the 


158  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

Golden  Gate,  while  Mt.  Diablo  lies  to  the  east  and 
north,  forty  miles  distant.  I  know  of  no  point  on 
the  Pacific  Coast  that  affords  as  extensive  an  out 
look  over  so  strange  a  country.  The  whole  sug 
gests  to  the  mind  some  vast,  stormy  sea,  whose 
surface  is  broken  into  waves  and  billows. 

The  land  for  the  site  of  the  observatory  com 
prises  one  thousand  three  hundred  and  fifty  acres, 
and  was  granted  by  Congress  in  1870.  The  crest 
of  the  mountain  is  divided  into  five  different  peaks. 
The  one  occupied  by  the  observatory  has  been 
cut  down  some  thirty  feet  to  level  it  for  the  build 
ings,  which  are  large,  handsome,  and  strong.  Now 
all  is  completed  except  the  dome  for  the  large 
equatorial.  All  of  the  instruments  and  most  of 
the  minor  apparatus  are  suitably  mounted  and  in 
place. 

Leaving  San  Jose  I  went  to  Santa  Rosa,  where 
I  spent  some  time  visiting  all  the  points  of  inter 
est  in  Sonoma  County.  Santa  Rosa  is  the  count v 
seat  of  this  county.  It  is  a  beautiful  city  and  is 
situated  near  the  foothills  on  the  east  end  of  the 
Santa  Rosa  Valley,  which  is  fifty-five  miles  long 
and  ten  miles  wide  at  this  point.  It  lies  near  a 
large  grape  and  fruit  district,  and  a  rich  farming 
country.  While  I  was  staying  here,  I  met  a  man 
who  came  to  California  on  the  same  steamer  with 
me  in  1858.  We  had  never  met  since  that  time, 
until  we  met  by  chance  in  Santa  Rosa.  He  is  the 
owner  of  a  large  winery  in  that  place,  and  makes 


JAMES    BATCHELDER. 


159 


about  three  hundred  thousand  gallons  of  wine  an 
nually. 

I  also  took  a  trip  to  the  summit  of  Mt.  Diablo. 
It  is  easily  reached  by  a  few  hours'  rail  and  car 
riage  ride  from  San  Francisco.  From  this  sum 
mit  can  be  seen  views  unequaled  for  extent  of 
vision  and  beauty  of  scenery.  Spreading  out 
below  are  rivers,  mountains,  valleys,  farms,  towns, 
cities,  railroads,  plains,  and  forests,  forming  a  pan 
orama  of  grandeur  seldom  to  be  seen. 

After  spending  the  year  1885  in  the  above  men 
tioned  places,  together  with  San  Francisco,  Oak 
land,  and  Sacramento,  I  then,  in  1886,  took  a  trip 
to  the  Yellowstone  National  Park. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

A  TRIP  TO  YELLOWSTONE  NATIONAL    PARK. 
ft 

OWARDS  the  last  of  April,  1886, 1  left  San 
Francisco  for  Oakland,  where,  at  the  mole, 
we  took  the  cars  for  Port  Costa,  passing 
along  the  shore  of  our  beautiful  bay  through  Oak 
land,  Berkeley,  and  San  Pablo.  We  had  a  fine 
view  of  the  fortifications  on  Alcatraz  Island  and 
Black  Point,  also  of  the  hills  of  Saucelito  and  the 
Golden  Gate. 

At  Port  Costa  the  train  was  transferred  to  Be- 
nicia,  on  the  opposite  side  of  Carquinez  Strait, 
by  the  steamer  Solano,  the  largest  of  its  kind  in 
the  world.  It  is  four  hundred  and  twenty-five 
feet  long,  and  has  four  tracks  running  the  entire 
length.  It  can  accommodate  a  train  of  an  engine 
and  twenty  cars  at  one  trip. 

At  Benicia  we  were  again  transferred   to   the 
main  track,  and  soon   found  ourselves  whirling 
through    the   large  and  beautiful   valley  of  the 
(160) 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  161 

Sacramento,  which  at  this  season  of  the  year  pre 
sents  a  picture  of  rare  beauty.  On  either  hand 
are  broad  fields  extending  for  miles  away,  carpeted 
with  myriads  of  wild  flowers  of  all  tints  and 
shades,  on  a  groundwork  of  green,  waving  grain; 
and,  studded  here  and  there,  are  fruit  orchards  of 
almost  every  variety.  The  deep  green  of  the  al 
falfa  fields  and  the  light  green  of  the  wheat  form 
a  background  of  charming  contrast.  A  large 
grove  of  old  oaks,  which  had  been  spared  by  the 
woodman's  ax,  forms  a  border  along  the  margin 
of  a  natural  water  course.  These,  together  with 
beautiful  little  villages  and  the  snow-capped 
Sierras  sharply  defined  against  a  clear  azure  sky, 
complete  a  picture  where  nature  has  displayed 
the  wealth  of  her  rarest  beauties,  which  cannot 
be  surpassed  by  the  artist's  brush,  and  which  re 
quires  an  abler  pen  than  mine  to  fully  describe. 
When  we  arrived  at  Tehama,  I  obtained  my 
first  view  of  the  grand  old  Shasta  Butte,  which  is 
upwards  of  fourteen  thousand  feet  above  the  level 
of  the  sea.  To  the  west  of  Teharna  are  the  coast 
mountains,  and  on  the  east  the  Sierras  loom  up  in 
the  distance.  Tehama  is  a  small  town  on  the 
west  bank  of  the  Sacramento,  and  is  the  point 
where  the  Oregon  and  California  via  Marysville 
and  Sacramento  crosses  the  river  and  forms  a 
junction  with  the  road  from  Davisville  and  San 
Francisco  for  Redding,  Shasta,  and  all  points  by 
stage  and  rail  in  Northern  California  and  Oregon 
as  far  as  Portland. 
11 


1()*2  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

After  a  ride  of  nearly  two  hundred  and  fifty 
miles  tli rough  this  beautiful  valley,  I  left  the  cars, 
and,  getting  aboard  a  stagecoach,  I  went  to  Shasta, 
the  county  seat  of  Shasta  County,  where  I  made 
my  first  stop.  This  town  is  three  miles  from  the 
railroad,  and  is  prettily  situated  in  the  foothills  of 
the  mountains  surrounding  the  Sacramento  Val 
ley.  It  is  as  attractive  a  town  as  can  be  found  in 
any  mountains,  and,  in  a  sanitary  point  of  view, 
it  can  be  excelled  by  none.  This  was  a  lovely 
place  during  the  early  mining  days  of  California. 

The  placer  mines  around  here  were  very  rich. 
I  heard  an  old  miner  say  that  he  made  as  high  as 
$100  per  day  for  months  at  a  time  with  a  rocker. 
They  are  all  worked  out  now,  none  but  China 
men  being  able  to  make  a  living,  and  a  very  poor 
one  at  that.  In  traveling  through  the  canons  one 
day  I  came  upon  a  gang  of  them  who  were  work 
ing  with  a  rocker.  I  asked  them  if  they  found  it 
rich.  They  said  they  made  only  two  bits  a  day 
for  four  men.  Wherever  there  have  been  found 
rich  placer  mining  and  ore  of  great  value,  there 
is  always  a  fountain  head  in  the  vicinity,  which 
is  prospected  for  quartz  ledges  and  ore  veins. 
Going  into  the  hills  in  almost  any  direction  one 
meets  a  prospector  at  nearly  every  turn,  laden 
with  pick,  pan,  and  shovel.  The  recent  discovery 
of  rich  ledges  and  bodies  of  gold  and  silver  bear 
ing  ore  has  a  stimulating  effect  on  the  prospector. 
After  he  finds  a  ledge  he  selects  fragments  from 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  163 

various  parts  of  the  rock,  and,  after  pulverizing  it 
in  a  hand  mortar,  he  washes  the  result  in  a  saucer 
or  horn;  if  no  free  gold  is  obtained,  it  is  consid 
ered  worthless  and  is  abandoned,  only  to  be  taken 
by  someone  else,  who  will  sink  a  little  deeper,  test 
the  ore  a  little  more  thoroughly,  and  then  in  time 
relinquish  the  claim,  to  be  followed  by  others  in 
definitely. 

The  life  of  a  prospector  is  a  hard  one,  and  to 
follow  it  a  man  must  have  patience  and  perse 
verance  and  endure  many  hardships.  A  good 
quartz  prospector  should  be  also  an  assayer.  He 
should  know  in  what  formations  of  earth  or  rock 
to  expect  ore,  and  then  be  able  to  test  it  by  fire 
and  acid  assays.  There  are  several  quartz  mills 
running  in  this  country  with  very  satisfactory  re 
sults,  and  the  chances  are  many  more  will  be 
added  to  the  number  in  the  next  five  years.  I 
paid  a  visit  to  a  quartz  mine  located  near  Shasta, 
where  a  rich  pocket  had  been  struck  a  short  time 
before,  which  paid  as  high  as  $30,000  to  the  ton, 
but  that  was  soon  worked  out. 

Leaving  Shasta  I  went  by  rail  to  Slate  Creek. 
This  road  is  built  along  the  side  of  the  upper  Sac 
ramento  River  above  high-water  mark  and  winds 
around  between  high  and  steep  ridges,  which 
grow  narrower  until  only  a  channel  is  left  for  the 
river,  which  has  a  very  rapid  current  of  deep  blue 
water.  It  has  worn  its  channel  low  and  to  a 
nearly  uniform  grade,  where  it  foams,  dances,  and 


164  'LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

sparkles  over  its  rocky  bed.  The  railroad  follows 
its  crooked  course  until  we  reach  Slate  Creek, 
some  five  miles  above  Delta,  where  we  take  the 
stage,  which  makes  daily  trips  between  here  and 
Ashland,  Oregon,  the  southern  terminus  of  the 
Oregon  Railroad.  The  stages  are  good,  and  are 
driven  by  gentlemanly  drivers,  but  the  road  is 
rough  and  mountainous,  and  as  the  trip  to  Sissons 
occupies  the  whole  night,  it  is  very  tiresome,  even 
if  made  without  an  accident. 

Arriving  at  Sissons  I  broke  my  journey.  This 
place  is  situated  in  Strawberry  Valley,  the  first 
opening  into  a  series  of  small,  elevated  valleys 
which  stretch  about  the  base  of  Mt,  Shasta.  This 
valley  is  small  and  is  bounded  on  the  west  by  Mt. 
Scott,  five  thousand  feet  above  the  valley.  At  the 
northern  limit  of  the  valley  is  Black  Butte,  a  vol 
canic  cone  in  the  shape  of  a  sugar  loaf,  three 
thousand  feet  above  the  plains,  or  over  six  thou 
sand  feet  above  the  sea.  To  the  east  rises  Mt. 
Shasta  in  all  its  grandeur,  fourteen  thousand  four 
hundred  and  forty-four  feet  above  the  sea  level. 
The  valley  is  only  three  thousand  five  hundred 
and  sixty-seven  feet,  thus  making  Mt.  Shasta  ten 
thousand  eight  hundred  and  seventy-seven  feet 
above  the  plain.  It  is  isolated  from  every  other 
mountain,  which  gives  it  the  finest  exposure  of 
all  the  lofty  peaks  in  California;  there  are  few 
mountains  in  the  world  which  stand  so  apart  and 
are  seen  to  such  great  advantage.  It  is  a  conspicu- 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  165 

ous  landmark  on  an  area  of  several  hundred  miles 
in  extent. 

One  day  while  stopping  at  Sissons,  I  took  a  trip 
to  Castle  Lake.  This  is  a  small  lake  lying  high 
in  the  hills  west  of  Strawberry  Valley.  Our  party 
consisted  of  myself  and  a  gentleman  and  three 
ladies  from  San  Francisco.  Procuring  our  outfit 
from  Sissons — saddle  horses,  guide, and  a  sumptu 
ous  lunch — we  started  along  the  valley  until  we 
came  to  the  Sacramento  River,  which  we  had  to  ford- 
From  here  our  route  was  up  steep  mountain  sides 
along  a  narrow  trail  through  brush  nearly  as  high 
as  the  horses'  back,  over  rocks  and  logs,  until  we 
reached  the  top  of  a  bald  mountain,  eight  thou 
sand  feet  above  the  sea,  where  our  view  extended 
over  a  scope  of  country  for  hundreds  of  miles  in 
extent.  Looking  toward  the  west  at  our  left  high 
above  us  was  Castle  Rock,  with  its  domes,  spires, 
and  minarets  looming  above  the  mountains  on 
which  it  stands,  while  at  the  right  several  hun 
dred  feet  below  lies  the  beautiful  little  lake,  sur 
rounded  on  three  sides  by  high  and  rugged 
mountains.  To  the  north  our  view  extends  the 
entire  length  of  the  Shasta  Valley,  including  the 
Siskiyou  Range  of  mountains  and  the  Cascades  in 
Oregon,  where  the  snow-capped  Mt.  McLaughlin 
rears  its  head  far  above  all  others.  Near  us  rises 
the  famous  Mt.  Scott,  ten  thousand  feet  above  the 
level  of  the  sea.  From  this  mountain  the  Sacra 
mento,  Shasta,  Scott,  and  Trinity  Rivers  take  their 


166  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

rise,  flowing  in  different  directions.  These  rivers 
are  fed  by  thirty-three  small  lakes  in  these  moun 
tains. 

Looking  south  our  view  extends  far  down  the 
Sacramento  Valley,  with  Lassen  Butte  at  our  left, 
and  still  farther  to  the  left  a  distant  view  of  the 
Sierra  Nevada  Range  is  had.  To  the  east  the 
beautiful  valley  of  the  McCloud  River  is  spread 
out  before  the  eye,  and  to  the  left  of  this  Mt. 
Shasta  appears  in  all  its  splendor.  The  trip  was 
a  hard  one,  but  we  felt  well  paid  for  the  hard 
ships  we  had  to  endure  by  the  grandeur  of  the 
scenery.  There  are  other  very  interesting  trips 
which  can  be  taken  from  Sissons  without  much 
hardship  and  with  slight  expense.  One  of  these 
is  a  trip  to  the  Sacramento  Falls.  The  trip  can 
be  made  by  carriage  from  the  hotel  for  about  six- 
miles;  a  trail  is  then  taken  for  a  half  a  mile,  cross 
ing  the  Sacramento  River  on  logs  which  had  fallen 
across  it.  The  stream  is  followed  for  a  short  dis 
tance,  when  the  falls  appear  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  river.  The  falls  are  composed  of  numer 
ous  bodies  of  water  pouring  into  the  river  from 
a  high  bluff  amid  fern  and  moss-covered  ledges 
of  rock.  The  view  from  our  position  on  the  ledge, 
together  with  the  roaring  and  crackling  of  the 
rushing  water  as  it  came  pouring  over  in  its  on 
ward  course  to  the  sea,  was  grand  in  the  extreme. 

Another  trip  of  great  interest  can  be  made  to 
the  McCloud  River,  and  still  another  to  the  top 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  167 

of  Mt.  Shasta.  The  latter  is  a  hard  trip;  some 
have  started  and  failed  to  reach  the  summit,  while 
others  make  it  without  much  trouble. 

I  was  loth  to  leave  Sissons,  but  as  time  pressed 
me  I  could  not  prolong  my  stay.  I  think  it  is  the 
best  place  in  the  State  in  which  to  spend  the  sum 
mer  vacation.  Parties  can  be  furnished  with  ex 
perienced  guides,  carriages,  saddle  horses,  camp 
ing  outfits,  and,  in  fact,  everything  necessary  for 
the  comfort  or  pleasure  of  the  tourist  by  the 
genial  host,  Mr.  Sisson,  at  very  moderate  charges. 
The  mountain  scenery  about  here  is  romantic; 
the  water  is  pure  and  cold,  and  the  climate  is  de 
lightful,  with  cool  breezes  from  the  snow-capped 
peak  of  Mt.  Shasta.  Last  but  not  least,  the  table 
is  supplied  with  the  best  of  everything  that  the 
season  affords.  It  is  just  the  place  to  enjoy  a  sea 
son  and  build  the  system  anew. 

Leaving  here  we  took  the  stage  for  Yreka,  pass 
ing  through  almost  the  entire  length  of  Siskiyou 
County.  This  is  the  extreme  northern  county  of 
California  and  is  very  mountainous.  There  are 
two  grand  ranges  of  mountains  extending  nearly 
the  entire  length  of  the  State  on  the  eastern 
and  western  borders.  At  the  northern  part  of 
this  county  these  two  ranges  are  contracted,  form 
ing  some  of  the  most  rugged  and  gigantic  moun 
tain  peaks  to  be  seen  anywhere  in  the  world,  the 
crests  of  which  tower  as  high  as  the  lofty  peaks 
of  the  Alps.  Mt.  Shasta,  whose  summit  is  covered 


168  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

with  perpetual  snow,  is  within  about  ten  hundred 
feet  of  the  far-famed  Mt.  Blanc.  These  moun 
tains  are  covered  as  far  up  as  the  snow  line  with 
immense  forests  of  fir  and  sugar  pine. 

After  a  ride  of  thirty-five  miles  we  arrived  at 
Yreka,  the  county  seat  of  Siskiyou  County,  situ 
ated  in  the  western  part  of  Shasta  Valley,  four 
hundred  and  thirty  miles  from  San  Francisco. 
The  town  is  surrounded  by  high  hills,  from  the 
top  of  which  a  splendid  view  is  had  of  valleys, 
hills,  and  mountains.  Looking  towards  the  north 
the  Siskiyou  Range  of  mountains  is  in  plain  view, 
while  far  beyond  rises  the  snow-capped  peak  of 
Mt.  McLaughlin,  in  Oregon.  To  the  east  and 
south  the  view  extends  the  entire  length  of  both 
Little  and  Big  Shasta  Valleys,  which  are  dotted 
with  hundreds  of  volcanic  mounds  of  various 
size,  shapes,  and  forms,  and  in  the-  background 
rise  the  majestic  peaks  of  Shasta,  Scott,  and  Black 
Mountains.  Below  lies  the  beautiful  little  town 
of  Yreka,  with  its  lovely  gardens  and  shade  trees 
making  a  picture  the  beauty  of  which  is  seldom 
surpassed. 

From  here  to  Ashland  our  route  is  along  the 
Little  Shasta  Valley,  crossing  the  Shasta  and 
Klamath  Rivers.  Over  the  latter  river  we  crossed 
on  a  ferry  large  enough  to  accommodate  the 
stage  and  six  horses.  The  motive  power  is  the 
current  of  the  river,  and  the  boat  is  held  against 
the  stream  by  ropes  running  through  a  cable 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  169 

suspended  across  the  river;  then,  by  shortening 
the  forward  rope  and  lengthening  the  hind  one, 
the  boat  stands  diagonally  across  the  stream. 
The  current,  which  is  a  rapid  one,  strikes  it  in 
such  a  position  as  to  drive  it  across  in  a  short 

time. 

Along  the  route  in  this  valley  we  were  shown 
a  high  peak  in  the  shape  of  a  sugar  loaf,  which  is 
called  Mary's  Peak.     The  name  was  given  to  it  in 
honor  of  Mary  Price,  a  young  lady,  the  daughter 
of  the  first  settler  in  this  place.     She  climbed  to 
the  top  of  this  peak  and  planted  the  American 
flag  there  in  1852.     The  house  in  which  she  lived 
with  her  parents  is  still  standing.     It  was  built 
of  stone,  with  portholes  for  rifle  shots,   and  was 
used  as  a  kind  of  fort  for  their  protection  against 
the  Indians,  so  numerous  in  this  section  at  that 
time.     Alas!  the  poor  Indian   is  nearly  extinct 
now,  and  his  hunting  ground  is  converted  into 
beautiful  gardens  and  fruit  fields  by  the  industri 
ous  white  man. 

Leaving  the  valley  we  commenced  the  ascent 
of  the  Siskiyou  Range,  winding  around  on  a  beau 
tiful  road  until  we  reached  the  summit,  seven 
hundred  feet  above  the  sea,  Looking  back  in  the 
direction  from  which  we  came,  Mt.  Shasta,  which 
had  been  hidden  from  our  view  for  some  time,  ap 
peared  again  in  all  its  grandeur,  while  to  the  right 
of  it  Mt.  Scott  and  Black  Butte,  and  to  the  left 
several  high  peaks  in  the  Butte  Creek  Range,  lie 


170  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

in  the  background,  forming  a  picture  not  soon 
forgotten.  Descending  on  the  other  side,  the  road 
winds  around  on  short  curves  down  steep  grades 
shaded  by  beautiful  trees  until  Rogue  River  Val 
ley  is  readied,  through  which  we  pass  on  our  way 
to  Ashland,  Oregon.  This  is  the  southern  termi 
nus  of  the  California  and  Oregon  Railroad.  It  is 
a  beautiful  town  situated  at  the  southern  end  of 
Rogue  River  Valley.  It  more  closely  resembles 
a  New  England  town  than  any  other  place  on  the 
Pacific  Coast,  on  account  of  the  rows  of  shade  trees 
which  line  the  streets  and  the  beautiful  streams 
of  water  running  through  from  the  mountains 
above.  The  residences  are  neat,  and  the  yards 
are  tastefully  adorned  with  flowers,  shrubs,  and 
fruit  trees.  At  this  place  our  journey  of  one  hun 
dred  and  twenty-five  miles  by  stage  was  completed, 
for  we  connected  with  the  railroad  at  this  point. 
Ashland  is  quite  a  resort  for  those  in  search  of 
health.  The  region  about  here  is  rich  in  soda 
and  sulphur  springs  both  cold  and  warm.  The 
medicinal  properties  of  the  water  are  highly 
spoken  of  by  those  who  have  tested  them.  The 
soda-spring  house  is  a  most  delightful  place  in  a 
remote  valley,  surrounded  by  the  Siskiyou  and 
Cascade  Mountains,  ten  miles  from  Ashland. 
While  I  was  here,  a  party  of  United  States  engi- 
neers,under  the  command  of  Captain  C.  C.  Button, 
started  to  explore  and  make  a  geological  and  topo 
graphical  survey  of  the  Crater  Lake  and  Cascade 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  171 

Mountains,  which  were  set  aside  by  the  govern 
ment  for  a  national  park.  The  lake  is  located  in 
the  summit  of  the  Cascade  Mountains,  in  Southern 
Oregon,  about  one  hundred  miles  from  Ashland. 
It  is  six  by  eight  miles  in  extent,  and  is  sur 
rounded  by  cliffs  from  one  to  two  thousand  feet 
high.  The  .scenery  around  it  is  said  to  be  very 
beautiful.  The  party  took  along  three  boats,  one 
large  one  for  sounding,  and  two  small  skiffs.  The 
large  boat  is  very  strong  and  is  twenty-six  feet 
long,  has  a  five-foot  eight-inch  beam,  and  is  two 
feet  deep  amidships.  It  is  iron  bound  and  weighs 
nine  hundred  pounds.  It  is  a  model  of  beauty, 
and  has  been  christened  the  Cleetwood. 

Leaving  Ashland  our  route  is  along  and  through 
the  Rogue  River  Valley,  which  is  often  called  the 
Italy  of  Oregon,  on  account  of  its  clear  skies  and 
sunny  days.  It  is  the  most  productive  fruit  re 
gion  in  the  State;  grapes,  peaches, apricots, plums, 
pears,  apples,  and  all  kinds  of  northern  fruits  of 
superior  flavor  grow  here  in  abundance.  This 
valley  abounds  in  scenery  of  the  most  romantic 
character.  Lofty  mountains, beautiful  lakes,  splen 
did  waterfalls,  and  enormous  precipices  are  to  be 
seen  in  this  lovely  valley  of  Southern  Oregon. 

Leaving  the  valley,  our  route  is  over  a  spur  of 
the  Cascade  Range,  thence  down  into  and  through 
the  Umpqua  Valley  to  the  Calipooia  Range. 
This  region  abounds  with  wild  and  beautiful 
scenery.  The  canons  are  so  winding  that  in 


172  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

order  to  attain  twelve  miles  of  actual  distance, 
thirty-five  miles  of  track  had  to  be  laid.  On  de 
scending  this  divide,  we  found  ourselves  in  the 
beautiful  Willamette  Valley,  the  largest  in  the 
State.  It  is  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  in 
length,  and  varies  in  width  from  twenty  to  thirty 
miles.  It  lies  on  both  sides  of  the  Willamette 
River,  and  is  rich  in  soil  and  under  good  cultiva 
tion. 

The  farmhouses,  as  a  rule,  are  good,  and  reap 
ing  and  threshing  machines  were  busy  at  work  in 
large  fields  of  wheat  on  either  hand.  The  towns 
along  this  valley  are  models  of  beauty,  with  broad 
streets,  handsomely  shaded  with  sugar  maples, 
neat  residences,  and  substantial  business  blocks. 

At  Albany  I  again  broke  my  journey  for  a  few 
days.  This  is  a  fine  city  and  lies  on  the  east  bank 
of  the  Willamette  River,  about  eighty  miles  from 
Portland.  It  is  the  county  seat  of  Linn  County. 
There  is  not  much  to  be  seen  here  to  interest  a 
traveler,  so  we  will  pass  on  to  Portland.  On  the 
way  we  had  some  fine  views  of  Mt.  Hood  and  of 
some  of  the  more  southern  peaks  in  the  Cascade 
Range. 

The  city  of  Portland  lies  on  the  west  bank  of 
the  Willamette  River,  about  twelve  miles  soutli 
of  where  that  stream  unites  with  the  Columbia. 
The  ground  on  which  the  city  stands  slopes  up 
ward  from  the  water  front  to  the  base  of  high 
hills.  These  hills  have  been  partly  built  over 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  173 

with  elegant  residences.     A   macadamized    road 
leads   to   the   summit   of  Robinson's    Hill,  from 
which  point  a  most  pleasing  view  is  had  of  the 
city    and    surrounding   country.      The    winding- 
course  of  the  Willamette  is  traced  for  miles;  in 
the   foreground    rise    the   wooded    slopes    of  Mt- 
Taber,  while  in  the  background  is  the  long,  blue 
ridge  of  the  Cascade  Mountains,  with  Mt,  Hood 
towering  above   all.      To  the  left   rise  the  high 
peaks  of  St.  Helens,  Rainier,  and  Adams,  and  to 
the  right  is  the  white  top  of  Mt.  Jefferson.     Five 
snow  peaks  set  in  such  beautiful  surroundings  is 
a  sight  to  be  seen  from  no  other  point  in  the  world. 
Another  drive  leads  to    the   city  park,  which    is 
located  on  these  hills,  and  still  another  leads  to  the 
River   View   Cemetery.     I  will  not  undertake  a 
full  description  of  Portland,  for  it  would  require 
too  large  a  space.     It  is  sufficient  to  say  that  a 
handsomer  city  of  its  size  cannot  be  found  in  the 
United  States. 

Leaving  Portland  by  the  Northern  Pacific  Rail 
road,  our  journey  was  along  the  Columbia  River, 
where  the  scenery  is  very  grand.  Our  first  sight 
of  any  note  was  the  Pillars  of  Hercules,  two  gi 
gantic  columns  of  rock  on  each  side  of  the  track, 
seeming  as  if  built  for  a  gateway  to  that  region. 
After  that  came  the  beautiful  Multnomah  Fall,  of 
eight  hundred  and  twenty  feet,  pouring  into  a 
basin  of  great  depth.  A  rustic  bridge  has  been 
built  across  the  stream  at  the  outlet  of  the  basin, 


174  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

and  the  train  stops  for  fifteen  minutes  to  allow 
passengers  to  ascend  the  bridge.  There  is  a 
legend  connected  with  this  fall  which  runs  some 
thing  like  this:— 

Once  upon  a  time,  many  years  ago,  there  lived 
in  a   wigwam  on   the  mountain  a  little  Indian 
maiden,  young,  pure,  and  fair,  whom  the  red  men 
called  Multnomah.     She  was  wont  to  roam  beside 
a    little    streamlet   running   near   her   mountain 
home.     One  morning  as  she  was  standing  there, 
casting  pebbles  at  her  shadow,  a  noble  youth,  who 
was  walking  to  and  fro,  suddenly  appeared  before 
her.     It  was  a  case  of  love  at  sight,  but  it  seems 
love  that  rises  accidentally  is  the  first  to  fall,  for  all 
their  cherished  hopes  turned  to  weel  and  woe  in  a 
lovers'  quarrel.     They  parted,  as  many  have  done 
in  later  years,  but,  woman-like,  she  repented,  went 
to  her  lover,  pleaded  forgiveness,  and  begged  to 
be  taken  back  to  his  affections.     Her  entreaties 
were  in  vain,  so  she  sought  a  frightful  precipice 
over  which  the  water  bounded,  fading  away  far 
beneath  in  mist.     She  gazed  for  a  moment,  and 
then  hurled  herself  headlong  far  into  the  depths 
below.     They  called  the  foil  Multnomah  in  honor 
of  this  poor  unfortunate  maiden. 

A  short  distance  beyond  the  fall  we  came  to  the 
cascades  on  the  Columbia  River,  where  the  water 
rushes  down  swift  rapids  in  foaming  torrents. 
From  this  place  on  to  The  Dalles  the  scenery 
is  superb,  in  my  opinion  surpassing  any  river 


JAMES    BATCH  ELDER.  175 

scenery  in  the  world.  There  was  not  much  to 
be  seen  between  The  Dalles  and  Spokane  Falls,  at 
which  place  L  stopped  for  a  few  days.  It  is  a 
beautiful  little  city  in  the  eastern  part  of  Washing 
ton.  It  is  built  on  a  level  plain  overlooked  by 
picturesque  hills,  and  commands  a  view  of  the 
lofty  mountain  ranges  in  the  distance. 

The  city  lies  near  the  falls  of  the  Spokane 
River.  The  streets  are  broad,  and  the  place  has 
quite  a  number  of  substantial  business  blocks. 
The  river  above  the  falls  is  divided  into  many 
channels  by  rocky  islands.  Standing  on  a  bridge 
which  spans  the  stream,  the  view  which  can  be 
seen  is  almost  as  grand  as  that  of  Niagara.  Look 
ing  up  the  stream  you  can  see  the  water  rushing 
through  the  various  channels,  down  cascades,  and 
culminating  in  one  great  fall  of  sixty-five  feet. 
From  here  to  Helena,  Montana,  the  route  is  along 
the  shores  of  Lake  Pend  d'Oreille  for  fifty-five 
miles,  and  then  along  Clark's  Fork  of  the  Colum 
bia  for  a  considerable  distance,  where  the  scenery 
is  grand,  consisting  of  mountain  peaks  of  the 
Coeur  d'Alene  Range,  one  towering  above  the 
other  until  they  reach  the  height  of  five  thou 
sand  three  hundred  feet  above  the  sea.  During 
one  day's  ride  we  breakfasted  in  Washington,  took 
dinner  in  Idaho,  and  had  supper  in  Montana. 
Our  meals  were  served  in  Pullman  Palace  din 
ing  cars. 

When  I  arrived  at  Helena,  I  again  stopped  over. 


176  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS  OF 

This  is  the  capital  of  Montana,  and  is  called  the 
"Queen  of  the  Mountains."  It  is  situated  in 
what  was  called  the  Last  Chance  Gulch,  a  name, 
given  to  it  hy  four  miners,  who,  in  1864,  weary 
and  sick  at  heart  at  their  previous  non-success, 
pitched  their  tents  here  as  a  last  resort.  It  proved 
to  be  ricli  in  gold  mines,  and  it  is  said  that  in  two 
years'  time  each  was  worth  $50,000.  The  city  now 
has  a  population  of  twenty  thousand. 

After  leaving  Helena  we  followed  along  the 
Gallatin  River  for  about  fifty  miles,  to  where  it 
unites  with  the  Madison  and  Jefferson  Rivers, 
which  empty  their  waters  into  a  common  channel 
to  form  the  Missouri.  When  we  reached  the  sum 
mit,  we  were  five  thousand  five  hundred  and  sixty- 
three  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  From  this 
point  we  began  to  descend  again  at  the  rate  of 
one  hundred  and  sixteen  feet  to  the  mile,  till  we 
arrived  at  Livingston,  at  which  place  we  left  the 
main  line  of  the  Northern  Pacific  and  took  the 
Yellowstone  Park  Branch  to  Cinnabar,  a  distance 
of  fifty-one  miles. 

Most  of  the  route  is  along  the  Yellowstone 
River  and  through  a  beautiful  valley  called  Par 
adise  Valley.  The  scenery  forms  a  perfect  pano 
rama  of  grandeur,  presenting  ever-varying  views. 
The  Snow  Mountains  border  the  river  on  the 
south  and  east,  their  lofty  pinnacles  glistening  with 
snow  and  presenting  views  and  atmospheric  effects 
which  are  perfectly  superb.  These  mountains  rise 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  177 

from  three  to  four  thousand  feet  above  the  ele 
vated  valley. 

At  Cinnabar  we  were  transferred  to  the  stage, 
and  after  a  six-mile  ride  along  the  Gardiner  River 
Valley,  we  arrived  at  the  Mammoth  Hot  Springs 
Hotel.  This  was  the  starting  place  for  our  trip 
through  the  park.  It  took  us  five  days  to  view 
the  chief  attractions,  which  included  the  Norris 
Geyser  Basin,  Lower  Geyser  Basin,  Upper  Falls, 
and  the  Grand  Canon  of  the  Yellowstone  River 
A  full  description  of  these  wonders  of  nature 
would  take  up  too  much  time  and  space,  so  I  shall 
only  describe  some  of  the  most  important. 

The  Yellowstone  National  Park  is  situated  in 
the  midst  of  the  most  elevated  part  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains.  The  tract  embraced  within  the  park 
limits  lies  mainly  in  Northwestern  Wyoming,  but 
it  includes,  also,  a  narrow  strip  of  Southern  Mon 
tana  and  Eastern  Idaho.  It  is  sixty-six  miles  long 
and  fifty-five  miles  wide.  The  lowest  elevation 
of  any  of  the  narrow  valleys  of  the  park  is  six 
thousand  feet  above  the  sea,  and  some  of  the  moun 
tain  ranges  which  hem  in  these  valleys  raise  their 
proud  peaks  ten  thousand  to  twelve  thousand  feet. 

The  park  is  a  region  of  wonder,  terror,  and 
delight,  where  nature  puts  forth  all  her  powers 
in  her  ever-changing  moods.  Thousands  of  hot 
springs  and  hundreds  of  geysers  throwing  steam 
and  hot  water  from  ten  to  two  hundred  feet  in  the 
air,  grand  canons  and  falls,  mighty  cataracts, 
12 


178  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

verdant  valleys,  beautiful  woods,  silver  streamlets, 
foaming  cascades,  and  mirror-like  lakes,  unfold  a 
succession  of  pictures  which  seem  to  try  to  out 
rival  each  other  in  beauty. 

The  most  noted  geysers  in  the  park  are  the 
Giant  and  Giantess,  Castle,  Grotto,  Beehive,  the 
Splendid,  Grand,  Sawmill,  and  the  group  called 
the  Lion,  Lioness,  and  two  Cubs,  but  the  most  in 
teresting  of  all  is  the  one  called  Old  Faithful, 
because  of  the  great  regularity  with  which  erup 
tions  occur.  And  these  occur  every  hour,  begin 
ning  with  several  splashes  or  spurts,  which  con 
tinue  for  about  four  minutes,  becoming  more  and 
more  powerful,  when  they  are  followed  by  a 
rapid  succession  of  jets, -which  escape  with  a  roar 
and  soon  attain  a  height  of  one  hundred  to  one 
hundred  and  fifty  feet. 

The  water  eruption  is  followed  by  steam,  which 
finally  dies  away  and  leaves  the  crater  empty. 
The  water  eruption  lasts  from  four  to  five  min 
utes.  The  crater  is  an  oblong  opening  two  by  six 
feet  on  the  inside.  It  is  situated  on  a  mound  of 
geyserite  measuring  at  the  base  one  hundred  and 
forty-five  by  two  hundred  and  fifteen  feet  and  at 
the  top  twenty  by  fifty-four  feet,  and  rising  eleven 
feet  and  eleven  inches  above  the  surrounding  level. 
The  mound  is  composed  of  layers  of  deposit  in  a 
succession  of  terraces  which  are  full  of  shallow 
basins.  The  water  in  these  basins  is  as  clear  as 
crystal,  and  the  edges  of  the  pools  are  exquisitely 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  179 

beaded  and  fretted,  showing  delicate  tints  of 
rose,  white,  saffron,  orange,  brown,  and  gray.  The 
north  end  of  the  crater  has  large  globular  masses 
of  beaded,  pearly  deposit,  and  its  throat  is  of  a 
dark  yellow  or  rusty  color. 

This  description  of  Old  Faithful  gives  the  main 
points  of  all  the  other  geysers  I  have  mentioned, 
with  the  exception  that  some  have  more  beau 
tiful  formations  around  them.  Some  are  of  a 
spongy  formation,  resembling  a  large  piece  of 
sponge,  while  others  have  lace-ribbed  borders,hav- 
ing  the  appearance  of  being  crusted  with  pearls. 
The  hot  springs  all  through  the  park  are  the  most 
beautiful  water  pools  I  have  ever  seen.  The 
crystal  clearness  of  the  water  cannot  be  described, 
and  must  be  seen  to  be  appreciated. 

While  at  the  Upper  Geyser  Basin  1  was  fortu 
nate  enough  to  see  three  of  the  most  important  gey 
sers  in  action  at  the  same  time,  and  never  have 
I  seen  a  grander  sight  of  nature's  most  wonderful 
powers.  I  cannot  close  without  saying  a  few 
words  about  the  Yellowstone  Falls  and  the  Grand 
Canon. 

The  Upper  Falls,  of  which  the  height  is  given 
as  one  hundred  and  sixty-two  feet,  and  the  Lower 
Falls  said  to  be  three  hundred  and  fifty  feet,  com 
pose  this  wonderful  work  of  Nature.  The  river 
between  them  is  two  hundred  feet  in  width,  but 
it  contracts  to  a  distance  of  one  hundred  feet  at 
the  point  where  it  takes  its  final  leap  into  the 


180  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

gorge  below.  Recovering  from  the  plunge,  the 
river  finds  its  outlet  through  the  canon,  appearing 
in  the  distance  like  a  streamer  of  satin  ribbon 
laid  along  the  depths  of  the  Grand  Canon,  be 
hind  the  winding  walls  of  which  it  is  lost  to  view. 

The  Grand  Canon  is  a  wonderful  gorge,  which 
displays  a  scene  of  enchantment  surpassing  every 
expectation.  It  is  from  one  thousand  to  two  thou 
sand  feet  in  depth;  but  it  is  not  the  depth  that 
impresses  the  beholder  most,  it  is  the  brilliant 
coloring  of  the  walls  and  towering  rocks  on  each 
side,  which  are  one  mass  of  changing  colors,  daz 
zling  in  their  brightness,  and  when  the  sun  is  shin 
ing,  the  whole  gorge  seems  to  be  ablaze  with  red, 
yellow,  white,  blue,  green,  orange,  and  vermilion, 
lighting  up  the  walls  equal  to  any  palace.  I 
could  compare  it  to  nothing  I  had  seen  excepting 
the  sunsets  on  the  Indian  Ocean,  which  last  only 
while  the  sun  is  setting,  and  then  fade  away, 
while  this  is  as  steadfast  as  the  rocks  themselves. 

At  a  high  elevation  which  we  reached  in  the 
park,  the  three  Tetons  were  plainly  visible,  their 
pointed  peaks  rising  thirteen  thousand  eight  hun 
dred  and  fifty-eight  feet  above  the  sea.  These 
peaks  rise  out  of  the  beautiful  Teton  Basin,  near 
the  boundary  line  which  separates  Idaho  from  Wy- 
oming.  They  extend  from  the  Grand  Canon  of 
Snake  River  to  the  southern  extremity  of  Yellow 
stone  Park.  The  center  peak  is  sometimes  called 
the  Shark's  Tooth.  The  basin  in  which  they 


JAMKS    BATCHELDKR.  181 

stand  is  known  as  the  Robbers'  Retreat,  for  it  had 
been  for  a  long  time  the  den  of  a  most  daring 
band  of  horse  thieves.  As  many  as  one  hundred 
men  belonged  to  the  band,  and  their  raids  ex 
tended  over  a  large  scope  of  country. 

Tlie  hotels,  bridges,  and  roads  are  the  only 
change  from  nature  in  tlie  whole  park,  which  con 
tains  nature's  grandest  works  of  art,  and  it  is  well 
worthy  of  a  visit  from  all  who  have  the  opportu 
nity. 

From  Yellowstone  Park  I  returned  to  Portland, 
and  thence  to  San  Francisco  by  the  way  of  Ya- 
quina  Bay*  Yaquina  is  the  terminus  of  the  Ore 
gon  Pacific  Railroad,  where  it  connects  with  the 
steamer  for  San  Francisco.  It  is  a  small  place  at 
present,  but  large  improvements  are  being  made. 
It  has  an  excellent  harbor,  and  bids  fair  to  become 
a  port  of  considerable  importance  before  long. 

Newport,  a  town  situated  on  the  bay  four  miles 
further  on,  though  not  so  fashionable  as  the  sea 
side  watering  place  of  the  same  name  in  Rhode 
Island,  nor  yet  up  to  the  lovely  little  town  on 
the  shore  of  Lake  Memphremagog  in  the  Green 
Mountain  State,  is  so  located  that  from  almost  any 
point  of  view  one  can  never  tire  of  the  varied  and 
beautiful  scenery,  consisting  of  mountains,  bays, 
rivers,  and  the  ocean.  A  more  beautiful  spot 
for  a  town  site  is  not  easily  to  be  found,  and  Ore 
gon  may  well  be  proud  of  it.  It  has  two  fine 
drives  over  a  hard,  smooth  beach.  The  one  on  the 


182  LIFE    A XI)    TRAVELS    OF 

north  side  extends  five  miles  along  the  beach  to 
Cape  Foul  weather,  where  the  lighthouse  is  located. 
Tins  is  one  of  the  sights  of  the  place  and  is  well 
worth  seeing. 

On  the  south  side  the  drive  is  ten  miles  long, 
to  a  place  called  Seal  Hock.  They  are  both  beau 
tiful  pleasure  drives,  with  fresh  scenes  to  greet  the 
eye  at  every  turn.  At  Seal  Rock  there  are  some 
tall  pinnacles,  from  the  top  of  which  you  have 
a  magnificent  view  up  and  down  the  coast  for 
twenty-five  miles  each  way.  The  place  also  af 
fords  fine  surf  bathing,  and  is  perfectly  safe,  as  it 
is  not  in  the  open  ocean,  but  three  hundred  yards 
inside  the  heads,  and  a  high  bluff  protects  the  bath 
ers  from  the  wind.  Lately  this  place  has-  become 
more  widely  known,  and  it  is  destined  to  become 
a  popular  resort.  1  know  of  no  place  where  a 
short  time  can  be  more  pleasantly  spent  by  those 
in  need  of  recreation. 

I  left  there  on  the  steamer  Yaquina,  on  the  3d 
of  September,  at  two  P.  M.  In  crossing  the  bar 
we  encountered  a  heavy  sea,  which  lasted  through 
the  night,  causing  many  of  the  passengers  to  con 
sign  to  the  deep  what  they  had  eaten  during  the 
day.  Although  I  managed  to  retain  what  1  had 
eaten,  I  had  no  desire  for  more  when  dinner  was 
announced.  This  was  the  first  meal  I  refused  to 
partake  of  during  my  travels  by  water. 

The  next  morning  was  beautiful,  and  the  sea 
was  as  calm  as  a  river,  and  continued  so  till  we 


JAMES    BATCHELDER. 

reached  San  Francisco,  on  September  5,  which 
completed  my  journey  of  nearly  five  months,  dur 
ing  which  time  I  visited  all  the  places  of  note 
which  I  had  not  seen  before  in  Northern  Cali 
fornia,  Oregon,  Washington,  Idaho,  Montana,  and 
a  part  of  Wyoming;  and  happy  am  I  to  once  more 
tread  the  soil  of  my  adopted  State,  for  the  more 
I  travel  abroad,  and  the  more  I  see  of  other  States 
in  our  own  country,  the  more  I  prize  our  Golden 
State,  which  I  am  proud  to  call  my  home.  All 
other  places  I  have  visited  have  their  attractions, 
and  do  for  a  time,  but  for  a  lifelong  residence  give 
me  California.  Nor  do  I  think  there  is  a  city  of 
its  size  in  the  United  States  where  there  is  so 
much  to  interest  a  stranger  as  in  San  Francisco. 
The  Golden  Gate  Park  is  not  excelled  by  any  of 
the  kind  I  have  seen  in  older  or  larger  cities, 
while  a  trip  to  the  Cliff  House  cannot  fail  to  ex 
cite  delight  and  admiration,  and  a  walk  or  a 
drive  along  the  shore  of  the  Pacific  on  the  beau 
tiful  sandy  beach  fills  one  with  new  life  and 
vigor.  The  Cliff  House  has  several  large  porches 
which  face  the  sea,  and  those  who  choose  may 
pleasantly  pass  the  time  here  watching  the  waves 
as  they  splash  against  the  rocks,  and  in  listening 
to  the  barking  of  the  seals,  whose  roar  can  be  heard 
above  the  music  of  the  waves.  Then  a  ramble 
through  Sutro's  garden,  situated  on  the  heights 
overlooking  the  Cliff  House,  must  be  appreciated 
by  all  lovers  of  the  beautiful.  This  garden  is 


1S4 


LIFE    AXD    TRAVELS. 


filled  with  beautiful  flowers  and  shrubbery  of  all 
kinds  from  all  parts  of  the  world,  besides  groups 
of  choice  statuary  so  arranged  as  to  show  to  the 
best  advantage. 

Among  other  sights  of  interest  in  San  Francisco 
are  Woodward's  Gardens,  the  United  States  Mint, 
and  the  Presidio.  It  is  a  treat  to  ride  on  some  of 
our  cable  cars  to  the  tops  of  the  high  hills  of  the 
city,  which  are  more  numerous  and  much  larger 
than  the  seven  hills  of  Rome,  or  the  five  mounds 
upon  which  Jerusalem  once  stood.  Our  railway 
cable  system  is  the  best  in  the  world,  and  from 
the  tops  of  any  of  the  hills  a  magnificent  view  of 
the  city,  bay,  and  surrounding  country  is  ob 
tained.  All  these  and  many  other  attractions  of 
the  place  cannot  fail  to  make  a  sojourn  of  several 
days  or  more  very  interesting  to  anyone  visiting 
San  Francisco. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

A    TRIP    TO    SOUTHERN    CALIFORNIA. 

s?l 

"HE  sun  si i one  clear  and  pleasant  as  I  left 

San  Francisco  on  the  27th  of  April,  1887, 
by  the  steamship  Queen  of  the  Pacific. 
At  the  wharf  there  was  the  usual  hurry  and  ex 
citement,  the  usual  crowd  standing  on  tiptoe,  or 
climbing  upon  piles  to  wave  handkerchiefs,  and 
catch  the  last  words  from  outgoing  friends.  At 
last  the  captain  gave  the  word  "to  cast  off,''  when 
the  noble  ship  swung  back  from  her  moorings, 
and  pitched  her  way  through  the  ships  at  anchor 
in  the  bay.  The  passengers  stood  on  the  prom 
enade  deck,  watching  familiar  objects  as  they 
were  passed,  and  bidding  them  one  by  one  a  si 
lent  adieu.  These  were  shortly  left  behind,  and 
our  vessel  was  plowing  her  way  through  the 
ocean  swells  that  rolled  through  the  entrance  to 
the  bay.  When  fairly  outside  the  Golden  Gate 
the  warm  sunshine  of  the  harbor  was  cooled  by 
the  bleak  trade  winds,  which  were  quite  piercing. 

(185) 


186  LIFE    A XI)    TRAVELS    OF 

Then,  too,  the  change  from  the  smooth  waters  of 
the  bay  to  the  swelling  waves  of  the  ocean,  gave 
the  ship  a  peculiar  motion  that  was  not  very 
pleasant  to  some  who  were  not  accustomed  to 
sailing.  Such  very  quietly  retired  to  their  rooms, 
presumably  for  a  season  of  meditation.  I  was 
not  seasick  in  the  least,  and  I  did  not  expect  to  be, 
for  this  was  not  my  first  experience  at  sea,  and 
every  voyage  I  make'  gives  me  more  confidence 
in  the  power  and  capacity  of  a  ship  to  triumph 
over  the  conflicting  elements. 

When  night  came,  the  wind  went  down;  the 
evening  was  warm  and  pleasant,  and  the  sea  was 
as  smooth  as  a  small  lake  in  summer,  merely 
rippled.  I  staid  on  deck  until  it  was  quite  late. 
The  passengers  were  singing  in  the  social  hall  as 
in  a  parlor,  until  ten  o'clock  ;  when,  one  by  one, 
they  disappeared,  until  I  found  myself  the  only 
occupant  of  the  deck.  It  is  then  that  one  feels 
alone,  for  there  is  nothing  around,  beneath  or 
above,  but  the  silent  sky  and  the  sleeping  ocean. 
It  is  then  that  one  seems  to  feel  that  he  has  ex 
changed  the  security  of  the  shore,  and  the  society 
of  the  most  genial  friends,  for  that  of  strangers 
and  the  perils  of  the  deep. 

The  next  morning  we  were  at  Port  Harford. 
This  is  the  port  for  San  Luis  Obispo,  situated  nine 
miles  inland,  and  connected  with  it  by  a  railroad. 
Some  of  the  passengers  left  the  ship  here,  while 
others  from  the  above-named  town  came  on  board, 


JAMES    r.ATCIIKLDKK.  187 

filling  the  places  of  those  who  had  left  us.  After 
a  delay  of  a  few  hours,  exchanging  freight  and 
baggage,  we  were  again  out  at  sea,  under  full 
headway.  It  was  a  beautiful  day.  The  sun 
shone  bright  and  warm,  and  the  time  was  spent 
in  walking  about  the  deck,  singing,  reading,  play 
ing  cards,  etc. 

During  the  afternoon  we  passed  Point  Concep 
tion,  a  long  point  of  land  reaching  far  out  at 
sea,  upon  which  is  one  of  the  finest  lighthouses 
in  the  United  States.  It  is  two  hundred  and  fifty 
feet  above  the  water  and  has  a  revolving  light, 
showing  a  white  flash  every  half  minute.  It  also 
has  a  fog  whistle,  which  is  sounded  in  thick 
weather.  A  fog  bell,  weighing  three  thousand 
one  hundred  and  thirty-six  pounds,  is  used,  too, 
in  bad  weather. 

Our  next  stopping  place  was  Santa  Barbara. 
From  there  we  went  to  San  Pedro,  arriving  early 
the  next  morning.  At  this  place  passengers  for 
Los  Angeles  leave  the  ship  and  go  inland  by  rail 
about  twenty  miles.  Leaving  here  about  noon, 
we  went  directly  to  San  Diego,  reaching  there  be 
fore  dark.  The  entrance  to  the  harbor  is  roman 
tic;  the  channel  is  narrow  and  crooked,  forming 
a  complete  letter  S. 

This  completed  my  journey  by  water,  I  having 
reached  the  southern  point  of  my  trip.  I  returned 
to  San  Francisco  overland.  The  passage  was  un 
eventful  and  unattended  by  the  usual  squalls 


18S  LIFK    AND    TKAVKI.S    OF 

and  piles,  so  frequent  on  an  ocean  voyage  at  this 
season  of  the  year.  We  were  never  out  of  sight  of 
hind  during  the  trip,  and  the  scenery  was  beauti 
ful,  impressive,  and  sometimes  grand,  which  added 
much  to  the  interest  and  pleasure  of  the  voyage. 

San  Diego  is  the  county  seat  of  San  Diego 
County,  the  most  southern  county  of  California. 
Its  southern  limits  border  on  Mexican  territory. 
The  city  is  beautifully  situated  on  the  bay  of  San 
Diego,  a  fine  sheet  of  water  twenty  miles  long  and 
two  miles  wide,  almost  landlocked,  making  one 
of  the  most  beautiful  harbors  in  the  world,  and 
the  best  on  the  Pacific  Coast,  with  the  exception 
of  San  Francisco,  from  Callas,  in  South  America, 
to  Alaska. 

About  three  miles  inland  from  here  is  the  old 
town  of  San  Diego,  which  was  settled  in  1769  by 
the  Franciscan  friars,  who  established  a  mission 
there.  This  was  the -first  one  made  in  California, 
but  in  1771  ten  missionaries  arrived  here  from 
Mexico  and  established  missions  in  various  places 
in  Southern  California,  twenty-one  in  all.  One 
of  these  is  the  famous  mission  San  Gabriel,  which 
is  still  in  existence,  and  probably  will  be  for  years 
to  come.  The  bells  of  this  church  were  brought 
from  Spain  nearly  a  century  ago.  They  are  fam 
ous  for  the  sweetness  of  their  tones. 

It  was  at  San  Diego  that  General  Fremont 
landed  in  1841,  with  orders  to  join  Stockton  near 
Los  Angeles,  in  order  to  capture  that  place  from 
the  Spanish  army  under  General  Castro. 


JAMES  BATCH  ELDER.  189 

One  of  the  most  beautiful  places  about  San 
Diego  is  the  island  known  as  the  Coronado 
Beach.  It  lies  between  the  city  and  the  sea  just 
across  the  bay.  It  is  beautifully  laid  out,  with  its 
avenues  one  hundred  and  forty  feet  wide,  having 
drives,  walks,  and  bridle  paths  between  rows  of 
trees,  and  a  boulevard  around  the  entire  island, 
containing  parks  and  streets  lined  with  trees. 
There  is  also  a  broad  avenue  running  directly 
across  the  island  from  the  bay  to  the  ocean.  It  is 
a  mile  and  a  quarter  long,  and  has  a  double  row 
of  orange  trees  near  the  center  for  the  entire  dis 
tance.  Between  the  rows  of  trees  is  a  street  rail 
road  which  runs  cars  in  connection  with  a  steam 
ferry  from  the  city.  On  each  side  of  these  trees 
there  is  a  driveway,  and  outside  of  the  driveway 
is  also  a  line  of  shade  trees. 

A  large  hotel  is  being  erected  on  the  island 
near  the  beach,  fronting  on  the  sea,  which  will  be 
able,  when  completed,  to  accommodate  one  thou 
sand  five  hundred  guests.  It  will  have  a  theater 
and  dance  hall  connected  with  it,  all  under  the 
same  roof.  The  foundation  of  this  immense 
building  is  of  concrete  and  covers  three  acres  of 
ground,  including  the  inside  court.  The  view 
from  here  is  splendid;  but  I  will  not  undertake 
a  description  of  it.  Though  I  have  it  vividly  be 
fore  my  eyes,  I  cannot  describe  it  with  words  in 
such  a  manner  as  to  give  the  reader  a  fair  idea  of 
its  beautv,  for  I  have  always  found  even  the  finest 


190  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

and  most  skillful  descriptions  of  views  and  land 
scapes  insufficient,  and  could  never  form  a  dis 
tinct  picture  from  them  unless  I  had  seen  them 
myself  before. 

From  here  I  went  to  Riverside  by  rail.  The 
country  along  the  route  is  uninteresting,  most 
of  it  being  barren  and  rocky,  but  occasionally 
there  is  a  green  spot  with  a  small  stream  of  water, 
along  the  banks  of  which  are  clumps  of  the  oak  and 
willow.  There  are  a  few  small  towns  along  the 
route  that  lay  claim  to  future  greatness.  Then, 
again,  we  have  a  little  of  the  picturesque  in  pass 
ing  through  Temecula  Canon.  This  is  a  rocky 
gorge  several  miles  in  length,  with  hills  rising 
hundreds  of  feet  on  either  side  and  drawing 
nearer  together,  until  there  is  scarcely  room  for 
the  train,  and  little  streams  of  pure  water  that 
ripple  over  the  rocky  bed.  Farther  on  the  hills 
recede  and  gradually  lose  their  steepness,  until 
they  are  lost  to  view,  and  we  are  passing  through 
a  wonderful  little  valley  containing  one  hundred 
and  eighty  hot  and  cold  mineral  springs  of  all 
kinds,  whose  curative  qualities  are  said  to  be 
wonderful. 

Elsinore  Lake  is  in  this  valley.  It  is  a  beauti 
ful  sheet  of  pure  mountain  water,  seven  miles  in 
length  and  three  miles  in  wTidth,  around  which 
are  large  and  prosperous  settlements  of  orange, 
vine,  and  fruitgrowers  of  all  kinds. 

This  lake  is  near  the  railroad,  and  is  becoming 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  191 

a  summer  as  well  as  a  winter  resort.     It  is  only  a 
short  distance  from  Riverside. 

Riverside  is  a  pretty  little  town  located  in  the 
midst  of  orange  and  lemon  groves  and  vineyards 
that  extend  ten  miles  in  length  and  from  three  to 
four  in  width,  all  laid  out  with  wide  streets  and 
avenues  between  rows  of  shade  trees.  The  most 
beautiful  of  these  is  known  as  Magnolia  Avenue. 
It  is  seven  miles  long  and  one  hundred  and  thirty- 
two  feet  wide.  On  each  side  there  is  a  fine  wide 
sidewalk,  shaded  with  a  row  of  palm  trees  inter- 
spread  with  the  Japanese  willow.  Next  to  these 
are  two  wide  carriage  ways,  between  which  is  a 
row  of  large  pepper  trees  for  the  entire  distance. 

The  land  along  this  avenue  is  planted  with 
vineyards,  orange  and  lemon  groves,  and  orchards 
of  almost  every  known  fruit,  having  the  appear 
ance  of  one  vast  orchard,  dotted  with  many  fine 
residences  of  wealthy  people. 

The  water  for  irrigating  this  vast  section  is 
brought  from  the  Santa  Ana  River,  by  two  large 
ditches  running  the  entire  distance.  Small  ditches 
radiate  from  these  in  every  direction,  making  one 
of  the  finest  systems  of  irrigation  to  be  found  in 
the  United  States.  The  Riverside  oranges  are 
famous  for  their  brightness  of  color  and  the  rich 
ness  of  their  flavor.  I  never  have  found  oranges 
that  excel  them  in  any  part  of  the  world.  There 
are  many  varieties  of  ornamental  trees  along  the 
streets  and  avenues  in  this  place,  which  add  much 


19*2  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

to  its  beauty.  But,  in  my  opinion,  there  is  no 
other  tree  which  grows  that  will  equal  the  orange 
as  an  ornamental  tree.  Xo  other  shows  such 
rich  green  foliage,  varying  from  a  pale  yellowish 
green  to  a  rich  dark  shade,  with  glossy  leaves,  and 
at  nearly  all  seasons  of  the  year  it  is  laden  with 
both  blossoms  and  ripe  fruit.  And,  certainly,  no 
flowering  or  ornamental  tree  or  shrub  of  any  kind 
is  so  handsome  as  an  orange  tree  whose  branches 
are  hanging  with  ripe  fruit,  It  is  far  more  attract 
ive  than  a  magnolia,  pepper,  or  palm  tree. 

Last  year  I  traveled  in  the  North,  through 
mountains  and  gorges,  with  massive  cliffs  rising 
thousands  of  feet,  crowned  with  snow,  and  the 
dashing  waters  hissing  among  huge  rocks  in  the 
depths  below,  and  think  there  is  nothing  grander 
than  to  ga/e  over  a  rugged  wilderness  of  rocks, 
and  upon  wastes  that  never  have  been  trodden  by 
the  foot  of  man. 

There  is  another  kind  of  scenery  which  I  en 
joyed  from  a  hill  unknown  to  fame,  and  rising  in 
perfect  solitude  from  the  plain  back  of  the  little 
town  of  Riverside.  It  is  a  softer  landscape  of 
graceful  hillsides,  sloping  to  the  green  meadows 
and  woodlands,  glorious  with  magnificent  foliage 
of  a  southern  clime,  fertile  fields,  thriving  or 
chards  and  vineyards  meeting  the  glance  in  every 
direction,  all  charming  in  the  bright  sunlight 
under  a  brilliant  sky. 

After  all,  it  is  not  so  much  the  locality  which 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  193 

gives  the  pleasure  to  the  tourist  as  the  eye  scan 
ning  it.  Every  lover  of  nature  has  his  favorite 
scenery.  High  mountains  please  one,  while  an 
other  is  content  with  an  old  pear  tree  in  the  gar 
den,  or  a  river  bank  overhung  by  oaks  and  wil 
lows.  But  to  me  there  is  true  poetry  in  a  great 
array  of  peaks,  each  carrying  a  name  famous  in 
the  history  of  ascents. 

Leaving  Riverside  I  went  to  San  Bernardino. 
This  is  the  county  seat  of  San  Bernardino  County. 
It  is  a  beautiful  little  town,  and  one  cannot  fail  to 
be  charmed  with  its  situation.  It  lies  half  hid 
den  among  the  trees,  with  the  hills  sloping  grad 
ually.  Fertile  fields,  thriving  young  orchards 
and  vineyards,  are  to  be  seen  on  every  side, 
while  at  a  short  distance  rise  the  steeper  moun 
tains  of  the  San  Bernardino  Range. 

The  little  stream  that  flows  through  the  town 
and  neighboring  fields  is  one  of  the  numerous 
brooks  that  run  down  the  side  of  Mt.  San  Bernar 
dino,  and  unite  to  form  the  Santa  Ana  River. 
It  can  be  traced  all  along  its  winding  way  by  the 
oaks,  sycamores,  and  willows  which  line  its  banks. 

About  six  miles  from  here,  in  the  foothills,  are 
located  what  are  known  as  the  Arrowhead  Hot 
Springs,  taking  their  name  from  a  profile  of  an 
arrowhead  on  the  side  of  a  steep  mountain  over 
looking  the  springs.  It  was  formed  by  a  slide 
that  occurred  many  years  ago.  It  is  a  conspicu 
ous  landmark  and  can  be  seen  from  any  part  of 
13 


194  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

the  valley.  These  springs  have  become  very  pop 
ular  of  late,  and  the  medicinal  properties  of  the 
water  are  said  to  be  excellent. 

The  town  of  San  Bernardino  was  first  settled  by 
the  Mormons,  in  1852.  Before  that  time  there 
was  only  a  stock  ranch  here.  There  is  a  story 
told  of  the  finding  of  this  place  by  the  Mormons, 
which  will  bear  repeating  here.  It  seems  that  an 
old  trapper,  who  had  been  all  through  this  valley, 
had  visited  Arrowhead  Springs,  and  could  give  a 
full  description  of  them,  arrived  at  Salt  Lake, 
where  he  met  Brigham  Young  and  described  to 
him  this  beautiful  valley  and  its  surroundings, 
including  the  Arrowhead  and  Hot  Springs. 

Shortly  after  this  Brigham  announced  to  his 
followers  that  he  had  had  a  vision  from  heaven, 
showing  him  a  beautiful  country,  and  he  repeated 
to  them  the  story  he  had  heard  from  the  old  trap 
per. 

Soon  after,  a  party  of  nearly  one  thousand  of 
his  followers  came  here  and  settled,  finding  every 
thing  the  same  as  Brigham  had  declared  he  had 
seen  in  his  vision.  In  1856  most  of  this  party  re 
turned  to  Salt  Lake.  Some  remained  and  are 
still  here  and  are  in  full  faitli  with  the  Mormon 
Church,excepting  that  part  which  sanctions  polyg 
amy,  it  not  being  considered  a  part  of  the  Mor 
mon  religion  by  those  remaining  here. 

From  here  I  went  by  rail  to  Los  Angeles,  pass 
ing  through  the  entire  length  of  the  San  Gabriel 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  195 

Valley.  This  is  a  new  route,  and  has  been  opened 
to  the  public  only  a  week.  The  entire  valley  is 
very  attractive.  In  every  portion  are  countless 
farms,  with  beautiful  residences.  New  towns  are 
springing  up  along  the  road,  and  one  can  trace  the 
lines  of  young  fruit  trees  in  the  newly  planted  or 
chards  and  the  rows  of  cuttings  in  the  vineyards. 

Pasadena  is  the  pride  and  crown  of  this  valley. 
Its  broad  avenues  are  bordered  with  pepper  trees 
and  with  hedges  of  cypress  and  lime. 

The  valley  about  here  is  thickly  dotted  with 
beautiful  homes  of  modest  cottages,  with  lovely 
gardens,  half  hidden  by  orange  and  lemon  groves 
and  vineyards.  Delightful  walks  with  arbors  and 
summer  houses  of  evergreen,  climbing  vines  and 
flowers  of  every  variety,  are  to  be  seen  at  every 
turn.  The  scenery  along  this  valley  is  grand, 
the  Sierra  Madre  Mountains  standing  boldly  up 
in  the  background,  while  the  foothills  look  so 
tempting  for  a  stroll  like  one  I  used  to  take  in  the 
Granite  State  in  my  childhood  days. 

On  arriving  at  Los  Angeles  by  rail,  one  sees 
the  poorest  part  of  the  city  first  ;  for  in  going  from 
the  station  to  the  business  portion,  he  has  to  pass 
through  the  old  Spanish  settlement  known  as 
Sonora.  This  is  a  dilapidated  place,  with  its 
squares  of  low,  flat-roofed,  adobe  buildings,  which 
have  stood  here  for  a  long  period  of  time,  but  are 
fast  crumbling  away,  the  inhabitants  dying  out 
or  being  pushed  aside  to  give  room  for  the  more 


OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY 


196  LIFE    AND   TRAVELS   OF 

energetic  and  enterprising  American  people,  and 
the  neat  modern  streets  of  a  rapidly  growing  city. 
(Since  the  above  was  written  the  station  has  been 
moved.) 

The  city  of  Los  Angeles  is  the  natural  center  of 
a  large  commercial,  agricultural,  and  industrial 
community.  There  are  sections  of  Los  Angeles 
County  under  a  higher  state  of  cultivation  than 
can  be  found  anywhere  else  in  the  United  States. 
These  localities  are  settled  mostly  by  the  wealthy 
and  well-to-do  classes  of  people.  From  Third 
Street  Hill,  or  any  other  hill  that  rises  back  of  the 
city  of  Los  Angeles,  one  looks  upon  a  scene  that 
is  truly  picturesque,  consisting  of  vineyards,  or 
ange  and  lemon  groves,  and  orchards  of  almost 
every  known  fruit.  It  is  a  collection  of  gardens 
six  miles  square,  producing  at  all  times  of  the 
year  almost  everything  that  grows  under  the  sun. 

If  one  drives  out  into  the  country,  large  fields 
of  wheat  and  barley,  backed  by  the  dark  green  of 
the  vine,  orange,  and  lemon,  and  other  shrubbery, 
are  to  be  seen  everywhere,  rankly  growing  with 
the  fruit  in  different  stages  of  advancement.  In 
riding  along  one  may  hear  the  song  of  the  laborer 
in  the  field,  and  see  madam e  at  the  kitchen  door 
or  in  the  garden  picking  weeds  from  among  the 
flowers,  while  the  house  dog,  too  lazy  to  bark,  lies 
idly  sleeping  in  the  shade. 

From  here  I  went  by  rail  to  San  Buenaventura. 
This  is  a  Spanish  name  and  signifies  "Saint  of 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  197 

Good  Venture."  This  route  is  through  the  Santa 
Clara  Valley  of  the  South.  The  scenery  here  is 
very  attractive.  Mountains  rise  on  either  side 
from  two  to  four  thousand  feet  in  height,  present 
ing  a  bold  and  rugged  outline  against  the  sky. 
The  Rio  de  Santa  Clara  runs  through  this  valley, 
and  at  intervals  the  railroad  crosses  a  small  stream 
of  water,  a  tributary  to  this  river,  on  whose  banks 
are  clumps  of  shade  trees.  As  we  glide  along, 
new  beauty  breaks  upon  the  eye  at  every  turn. 

There  are  several  varieties  of  sagebrush  grow 
ing  along  the  mountain  sides,  the  blossoms  of 
which  furnish  honey  to  thousands  of  swarms  of 
bees.  Almost  all  the  farmers  in  the  valley  and 
all  the  stockmen  in  the  mountains  have  from 
twenty  to  a  hundred  hives  of  bees,  producing  in 
many  cases  four  hundred  pounds  of  honey  to  the 
hive.  The  honey  is  taken  out  by  the  use  of  the 
honey  extractors.  The  comb  is  not  disturbed  and 
is  refilled. 

At  San  Buenaventura  I  took  the  stage  for  Santa 
Barbara,  thirty  miles  distant  along  the  coast.  To 
our  left  is  the  beautiful  Santa  Barbara  Channel 
while  far  out  at  sea  is  a  chain  of  islands  rising 
up  like  sentinels  to  a  height  of  about  two  thousand 
feet.  The  ever-changing  panorama  of  valleys, 
mountains,  islands,  rivers,  and  sea,  all  combined 
to  make  the  trip  from  Los  Angeles  to  this  place 
one  of  great  interest,  and  one  not  soon  to  be  for 
gotten. 


198  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS  OF 

Santa  Barbara  is  the  county  seat  of  Santa  Bar 
bara  County.  It  is  a  beautiful  city  of  nearly  five 
thousand  inhabitants.  It  rises  gradually  from  the 
sea,  attaining  an  elevation  of  three  hundred  feet 
in  a  distance  of  one  and  a  half  miles.  The  mis 
sion  here  was  founded  December  4,  1786.  It  is 
the  only  mission  in  California  which  lias  been 
occupied  constantly  by  the  Franciscan  friars, 
from  its  founding  up  to  the  present  time.  The 
old  church  was  so  badly  injured  by  an  earthquake 
in  1812  that  it  was  necessary  to  take  it  down. 
The  present  structure  was  built  in  1815.  It  is  in 
a  splendid  state  of  preservation.  The  walls  con 
sist  of  large  cubes  of  cut  sandstone  nearly  six  feet 
in  thickness.  They  are  strengthened  by  buttresses 
of  a  similar  nature.  It  is  the  most  substantial 
mission  church  in  California,  and  it  contains 
many  fine  pictures  by  Spanish  painters.  The 
church  and  the  dwellings  of  the  priests,  which  are 
connected  with  it,  are  all  that  now  remain  of  the 
old  mission  buildings. 

From  here  I  continued  my  journey  by  stage. 
The  route  for  several  miles  is  along  the  Santa 
Barbara  Valley.  As  the  stage  passed  along,  gay 
houses,  surrounded  by  beautiful  gardens,  rich 
with  flowers  and  trees  of  magnificent  foliage,  were 
to  be  seen  on  either  side. 

Leaving  the  valley  we  commenced  the  ascent 
of  the  Santa  Ynez  Mountains,  winding  around  their 
side,  making  almost  every  point  of  the  compass, 


JAMES    BATCHELDER. 


199 


and  steadily  climbing  higher  and  higher.  Our 
turns  were  short  and  sometimes  in  ravines,  at 
other  times  above  the  edge  of  a  frightful  precipice, 
whose  crumbling  walls  threatened  to  give  way  be 
neath  our  weight.  We  soon  commanded  a  view 
of  innumerable  mountain  chains  lying  beneath 
us.  As  we  reached  the  summit,  a  grand  pano 
rama  was  spread  out  before  the  eye.  Cities,  towns, 
valleys,  mountains,  islands,  and  sea  lie  sleeping 
far  beneath  us  in  all  their  loveliness,  while  the 
lower  hills  rise  in  massive  waves,  clothed  with 
oaks  and  manzanita. 

Huge  granite  bowlders  lie  as  if  tossed  on  the 
hillsides,  or  piled  up  over  level  tracts  as  if  placed 
there  by  the  hand  of  man.  The  atmosphere  is 
pure,  soothing,  and  exhilarating.  It  is  a  delight 
to  breathe  it  and  fill  the  lungs  with  it,  as  one 
would  drink  from  a  pure  spring.  From  here 
the  road  begins  its  rapid  descent  to  the  valley  be 
low.  Looking  down  from  the  top  of  the  stage 
coach,  the  descent  seems  impossible,  but  we  move 
on  in  long  curves  around  the  edge  of  the  moun 
tain,  turning,  twisting,  and  winding  under  the 
branches  of  the  oak  and  sycamore,  which  are 
draped  with  hanging  moss  and  wild  grapevines. 
Finally  we  are  down  into  the  Santa  Ynez  Valley, 
on  which  the  ripened  fields  of  wheat,  barley,  and 
clover  lie  spread  in  a  light  brown  carpet  on 
either  side,  while  to  the  right  extends  the  limpid 
blue  Santa  Ynez  River,  losing  itself  in  graceful 


200  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

curves  behind  the  wooded  hills  and  in  the  dis 
tant  fields  and  pastures  terminating  the  view. 
Towards  nightfall  I  reached  Los  Alamos,  after  a 
ride  of  sixty  miles  by  stage  over  this  interesting 
country. 

The  next  morning  I  resumed  my  journey  by 
rail  to  San  Luis  Obispo.  This  is  the  county  seat 
of  San  Luis  Obispo  County.  It  is  an  interesting 
and  pretty  little  town,  situated  at  the  end  of  a 
beautiful  valley  surrounded  by  giant  mountains. 
From  here  El  Paso  de  Robles  is  thirty  miles, 
which  is  made  by  stage,  and  completes  my  stage 
ride.  I  connected  at  this  point  with  the  Southern 
Pacific  Railroad. 

This  place  is  famous  for  its  hot  mineral  springs, 
delightful  and  picturesque  surroundings.  It  lies 
in  the  valley  of  the  Salinas  River,  on  a  plain 
gently  sloping  toward  the  foothills  of  the  Coast 
Range,  shaded  by  groves  of  giant  oaks  and  cotton- 
wood.  The  main  spring  is  situated  in  the  center. 
The  reservoir  is  eight  feet  square.  The  water  is 
hot  and  bubbles  with  gases  from  the  bottom.  It 
has  a  flow  of  more  than  four  thousand  gallons 
per  hour.  There  are  two  plunge  baths  built  of 
solid  masonry,  one  for  ladies  and  the  other  for  gen 
tlemen.  In  the  rear  of  these  are  the  public  and 
private  bath  rooms.  The  hotel  is  first  class  and  is 
surrounded  on  three  sides  by  neat  and  comfort 
able  cottages.  The  table  is  one  of  the  best  sup 
plied  and  appointed  on  the  Pacific  Coast. 


JAMES    BATCHELDEK.  201 

These  springs  were  used  and  highly  valued  by 
the  old  mission  priests  nearly  a  hundred  years 
ago,  and  the  native  Indians  have  the  greatest  con 
fidence  in  their  healing  qualities.  The  rush  of 
visitors  is  becoming  greater  every  year,  and  it  is 
here  that  one  can  find  freedom  and  rest  from  toil, 
and  fill  the  system  with  new  blood  and  healthful 
vigor. 

From  here  I  completed  my  trip  on  my  arrival 
at  San  Francisco,  after  a  day's  ride  through  the 
charming  Santa  Clara  Valley.  This  is  called  the 
Garden  Valley  of  the  Pacific  Coast.  It  is  well 
worthy  of  the  name.  The  surroundings  are  beau 
tiful  and  picturesque.  The  lofty  peaks  of  the 
Santa  Lucia  Pacheco  and  Los  Barberos  stand  out 
harmoniously  against  the  azure  sky.  They  seem 
to  be  almost  within  hailing  distance,  while  the 
rolling,  billow-like  hills,  fringed  with  a  purple 
foam  of  redwood,  evergreen,  oak,  and  pine,  create 
a  captivating  landscape.  In  the  foreground  the 
valley  lies  sleeping  in  all  its  loveliness.  As  we 
glide  along,  every  turn  brings  a  new  surprise  and 
reveals  a  new  beauty — now  an  avenue  of  stately 
trees,  then  a  succession  of  gardens,  again  along 
the  channel  of  a  stream  where  tall  oaks  and  syca 
mores  shade  the  way,  next  for  miles  a  succession 
of  vineyards,  orchards,  and  fruitful  fields,  while 
nestling  among  the  vines  and  amid  the  roses  are 
stately  mansions  and  beautiful  cottages,  which  be 
speak  the  thrift  and  refinement  of  their  occupants. 


20*2  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

This  visit  to  the  land  of  the  vine,  the  olive,  the 
orange,  and  pomegranate,  afforded  me  a  great  deal 
of  pleasure  and  enjoyment.  It  will  always  he  re 
membered  as  one  of  the  most  enjoyable  experi 
ences  of  my  life.  But  whenever  T  visit  any  other 
part  of  the  State,  I  am  always  glad  to  return  to 
San  Francisco,  where  the  days  are  cool  for  work, 
and  the  nights  are  cool  for  sleep.  Its  breezes  are 
purer,  more  refreshing,  and  more  healthful  than 
those  in  any  other  part  of  the  State. 

About  two  weeks  before  starting  on  my  trip  to 
Southern  California,  I  took  a  ride  to  the  summit 
of  Mt.  Tamalpais.  This,  although  a  short  excur 
sion,  occupying  only  a  day's  time,  was,  neverthe 
less,  a  pleasant  one,  and  well  worthy  of  notice 
among  other  and  longer  journeys.  Mt.  Tamal 
pais  is  a  high  peak  in  the  Coast  Range,  bordering 
on  the  Bay  of  San  Francisco  and  forming  the 
northern  wall  of  the  Golden  Gate.  Its  summit 
has  been  selected  by  the  United  States  Govern 
ment  as  the  initial  point  of  the  coast  survey  for 
establishing  longitude  and  latitude.  I  left  San 
Francisco  by  the  ferry  of  the  Northern  Pacific 
Railroad  on  one  of  those  matchless  days  which 
are  the  pride  and  boast  of  California.  After  a 
very  pleasant  ride  of  one  hour,  we  reached  San 
Rafael.  This  is  the  county  seat  of  Marin  County. 
It  is  a  pretty  place  nestled  in  a  little  nook  in  the 
foothills.  Its  surroundings  are  romantic,  and  at 
this  season  of  the  year  the  hillsides  are  clothed 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  203 

in  verdant  grass,  daisies,  tulips,  pines,  and  bloom 
ing  buckeyes.  To  the  west  stands  Mt.  Tamalpais 
like  a  sentinel,  guarding  the  approach  to  the  bay 
through  the  Golden  Gate,  and  keeping  an  eye  over 
San  Francisco  and  all  the  little  towns  within  its 
reach. 

At  San  Hafael  we  procured  a  carriage  for  the 
ascent  of  the  mountain  The  route  is  through 
Ross  Valley,  which  is  dotted  with  fine  residences 
of  wealthy  people.  These  houses  would  grace  any 
city  street.  Leaving  the  valley  we  commenced 
the  ascent  of  the  mountain,  on  the  winding 
road,  which  presents  a  series  of  pretty  and  by  far 
the  most  picturesque  views  of  any  to  be  found  so 
near  San  Francisco.  At  every  turn  a  new  scene 
appears,  rivaling  in  beauty  the  former.  As  we 
still  continued,  the  many  changes  appeared  like 
the  shiftings  of  a  pamorama,  and  as  we  neared  the 
summit,  a  more  enchanting  picture  broke  upon 
our  vision.  A  beautiful  little  lake  lay  under  the 
sunlight  like  a  mantle  of  gold.  All  around  this 
sparkling  gem  of  the  mountain  could  be  seen 
the  dark  green  of  the  oak,  madrona,  and  manza- 
nita  bowing  down  their  outspread  boughs,  as  if  to 
sip  the  cooling  waters.  Arriving  at  the  summit, 
two  thousand  eight  hundred  feet  above  the  level 
of  the  sea,  the  view  is  grand  and  impressive. 

At  our  feet  lay  the  bay  of  San  Francisco,  dotted 
with  islands,  and  sails  of  commerce.  The  sur 
rounding  hills  were  soft  undulations,  between 


204  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS. 

which  lie  the  cities  of  Oakland  and  San  Fran 
cisco.  Beyond  lies  the  Alameda  Valley,  sleeping 
in  all  its  loveliness.  To  the  east  the  view  ex 
tends  far  up  the  valley  of  the  Sacramento,  with 
Mt.  Diablo  standing  out  boldly  three  thousand 
eight  hundred  and  ninety-six  feet,  while  the 
view  stretches  until  the  distant  horizon  is  bounded 
by  the  snow-clad  peaks  of  the  Sierras.  To  the 
north  the  eye  roams  over  a  series  of  valleys  sepa 
rated  by  ranges  of  mountains  and  hills  extending 
over  the  counties  of  Marin,  Napa,  Sonoma,  and 
Lake,  with  Mt.  St.  Helena  towering  four  thousand 
three  hundred  and  forty -three  feet  above  the  sea, 
and  whose  summit  is  a  conspicuous  landmark 
over  a  great  scope  of  country.  To  the  west  rolls 
the  almost  boundless  expanse  of  the  Pacific  Ocean. 

The  return  down  the  mountain  was  much  more 
agreeable  than  the  ascent.  The  landscape  was 
ever  changing,  as  we  wound  around  the  many 
curves,  with  skirting  cliffs  on  one  side  and  deep 
ravines  on  the  other.  The  scene  was  sublime,  and 
the  experience  was  one  to  be  remembered  for  a 
lifetime. 

I  have  visited  many  places  that  are  better 
known  and  that  occupied  much  more  time,  but  I 
have  seen  no  place  where  a  day  can  be  spent  with 
more  interest  and  pleasure  than  in  a  trip  to  the 
summit  of  Mt.  Tamalpais. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

A    TRIP    TO    SOUTH    AMERICA. 

"BOUT  the  last  of  January,  1888,  I  left  San 
Francisco  by  the  steamship  Colima  for 
Panama. 

A  crowd  had  been  increasing  for  more  than  an 
hour  before  the  advertised  time  for  sailing,  until 
it  numbered  hundreds  who  had  assembled  to  take 
leave  of  their  friends — perhaps  forever;  for  who 
could  say  that  it  would  not  be  their  last  time  of 
meeting. 

As  the  ship's  bow  receded  from  the  wharf,  the 
last  grip  of  the  hand  was  given,  friends  hurried 
ashore,  and  none  remained  on  board  but  those 
who  were  to  be  our  constant  companions  for  weeks 
to  come. 

Looking  back  to  the  pier   we  had  just  left,  I 
could  see  anxious  faces  watching  the  fast  disap 
pearing   ship,  as  if  they  were  looking  for  some 
loved  one's  form,  that  they  might  hold  its  mem- 
205 


206  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

ory  forever.  The  group  of  passengers  on  deck 
kept  their  faces  toward  the  shore,  having  in  their 
minds,  no  doubt,  pictures  of  friends  and  happy 
homes  that  hereafter  would  be  only  a  memory. 

Patiently  we  plowed  our  way  through  the  stub 
born  waters,  and,  towards  night,  we  were  well  out 
to  sea.  At  first  some  of  the  passengers  were  sea 
sick  and  either  kept  their  berths  or  walked  about 
the  deck  looking  as  if  they  would  rather  sit  down 
somewhere  and  only  think  than  to  do  anything 
else.  Later  on  everybody  came  down  into  the 
cabin  for  their  regular  meals,  and  the  crisis  had 
passed. 

Our  course  was  near  the  shore,  but  occasionally 
we  lost  sight  of  land.  The  coast  along  Lower 
California  is  uninteresting,  low,  barren,  and  deso 
late;  but  after  passing  the  Gulf  of  California,  the 
scenery  was  picturesque  and  diversified,  consisting 
of  ranges  of  mountains  extending  into  the  in 
terior.  As  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  not  a  single 
tract  of  flat  or  table-land  appeared  anywhere. 
The  entire  coast  of  Mexico  is  a  succession  of 
mountains  bordering  on  the  Pacific. 

Every  evening,  when  the  sun  went  down,  it 
looked  like  a  great  red  ball  dropping  into  the  sea; 
for  here  it  appears  to  be  divested  of  that  excessive 
brightness  which  on  land  frequently  dazzles  and 
pains  the  eye  of  the  beholder.  The  rising  and 
setting  of  the  sun  at  sea  are  usually  fine  spectacles. 
Those  on  the  Pacific  generally  surpass  those  of 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  207 

the  Atlantic  in  grandeur  and  beauty,  but  the 
most  gorgeous  I  have  seen  have  been  on  the 
Indian  Ocean. 

Our  first  landing  place  was  at  Acapulco,  about 
one  thousand  eight  hundred  miles  southeast  from 
San  Francisco.  It  has  a  beautiful  and  safe  har 
bor,  surrounded  on  three  sides  by  lofty  ranges  of 
wooded  mountains,  and  it  is  nearly  landlocked. 

The  town  has  a  population  of  about  three  thou 
sand,  chiefly  of  mixed  blood.  Very  few  people 
show  any  pure  Spanish  descent.  Some  of  them 
are  quite  good  looking,  polite,  and  civil. 

I  was  here  in  1858,  and  the  little  town  has  not 
changed  much  during  the 'thirty  years  that  have 
passed  since  I  walked  its  streets.  Thirty  years  of 
struggling,  active  life,  of  strenuous  endeavor, 
crowned  now  with  failure  and  again  with  tri 
umph,  of  rough  adventure,  of  voyaging  by  sea 
and  by  land!  I  look  back  and  think  of  the 
crowd  of  faces,  men  and  women,  that  I  have 
learned  to  know  between  then  and  now,  some  of 
whom  are  dead,  some  of  whom  are  estranged,  while 
others  are  still  near  my  home,  wishing  for  my  safe 
return.  Thirty  years!  one-half  of  a  human  gen 
eration!  We  can  scarcely  realize  its  length,  until 
once  more  we  stand  upon  its  half-forgotten  ground. 

Along  the  coast  of  Guatemala  the  shore  appears 
level  and  covered  with  timber  for  some  distance 
from  the  water,  when  the  mountains  rise  abruptly, 
the  peaks  being  from  ten  to  fourteen  thousand 
feet  above  the  sea. 


208  LIFE   AND    TRAVELS   OF 

Our  next  stopping  place  was  at  Champerico. 
This  is  a  small  town  on  the  coast  of  Guatemala. 
It  is  connected  with  the  interior  by  a  railroad 
twenty-seven  miles  in  length,  reaching  large  coffee 
plantations.  Coffee  has  increased  to  such  an  ex 
tent  of  late  as  to  become  a  large  export  from  this 
country.  Champerico  has  no  harbor ;  ships  arriv 
ing  here  have  to  anchor  in  the  roadstead.  Land 
ings  must  be  made  in  small  boats,  which  are 
dangerous  in  rough  weather. 

Our  ship  lay  at  anchor  here  nearly  twenty-four 
hours,  and,  although  the  surface  of  the  water  was 
as  smooth  as  an  inland  lake,  there  was  an  under 
current,  or  land  swell,  causing  the  ship  to  roll  as 
if  in  a  storm  at  sea,  making  it  very  uncomfortable 
for  those  on  board.  When  again  under  headway, 
we  experienced  no  more  of  this,  and  our  good  ship 
plowed  along  as  smoothly  as  a  duck  on  a  mill 
pond. 

The  next  morning  we  were  at  anchor  in  the 
roadstead  off  San  Jose  de  Guatemala.  From  the 
deck  of  the  ship  a  magnificent  panorama  burst 
upon  our  view — a  long  line  of  black  beach 
washed  by  the  foam  of  the  breaking  wave,  dense 
forests  of  deep  green  coming  down  to  the  water's 
edge,  the  unbroken  inland  as  far  as  the  eye  could 
reach,  with  two  volcanic  peaks  in  the  background. 
I  have  seen  nothing  on  our  trip  down  the  coast 
half  so  grand  and  beautiful  as  that  which  lay  be 
fore  me  at  this  place. 


JAMES  BATCH ELDP;R.  209 

Our  ship  lay  here  two  days,  which  afforded  us 
an  opportunity  of  visiting  the  city  of  Guatemala, 
which  is  seventy  miles  inland  and  is  connected 
by  rail  with  San  Jose  de  Guatemala.  Landing 
can  be  made  only  by  means  of  small  boats  and 
lighters.  When  a  wharf  is  reached,  a  huge  bas 
ket  or  cage  is  found  swinging  from  the  end,  by 
means  of  a  pulley,  over  the  water.  The  passen 
gers  crawl  into  it  and  are  hoisted  ashore  by  a 
dummy  engine.  The  trip  inland  is  an  ever- 
changing  panorama  of  beauty.  On  either  hand 
are  large  plantations  of  sugar  cane  and  coffee 
fields,  with  here  and  there  beautiful  groves,  con 
taining  cocoanuts,  bananas,  pineapples,  oranges, 
and  all  other  tropical  fruits,  growing  rankly. 

When  the  train  stops  at  the  stations,  we  are 
met  by  an  army  of  female  peddlers,  with  all  kinds 
of  fruits,  Indian  wares,  cigars,  cigarettes,  etc., 
which  are  urged  upon  the  passengers.  As  we 
ride,  we  pass  at  the  base  of  high  mountains,  cross 
ing  frightful  precipices  and  along  beautiful  streams 
of  pure  mountain  water,  and  skirting  the  shore  of 
a  beautiful  lake  for  miles,  all  the  while  climbing 
higher  and  higher,  until  we  reach  the  city  of 
Guatemala,  five  thousand  feet  above  the  sea. 
This  is  the  capital  of  the  Guatemalan  Republic. 
It  is  a  handsome  city  of  nearly  seventy  thousand 
inhabitants.  It  has  many  fine  buildings,  nearly 
all  of  one  story,  painted  white,  giving  the  city  a 
clean  appearance. 
14 


"210  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

The  streets  cross  each  other  at  right  angles,  are 
well  paved,  and  kept  clean.  They  are  all  raised 
from  their  centers  to  the  sidewalk,  so  that  any 
thing  thrown  into  them  is  washed  into  the  sewers 
by  water  that  runs  in  the  center  of  the  street. 
The  entire  city  is  lighted  by  electricity  and  has  a 
fine  system  of  street  cars  and  all  other  modern 
improvements.  A  full  description  of  this  beauti 
ful  city  would  occupy  too  much  space  for  this 
writing,  so  I  will  not  attempt  it. 

We  returned  to  the  ship  at  half  past  ten  r.  M., 
after  a  trip  of  two  days  full  of  interest,  The  next 
morning  we  lay  at  anchor  near  Acajutla,  loading 
coffee  and  other  freight.  The  only  excitement  to 
be  had  here  was  in  watching  a  school  of  whales 
playing  about  the  ship.  At  times  they  would 
raise  themselves  nearly  out  of  the  water,  within  a 
a  stone's  throw  of  the  ship.  It  was  the  nearest 
view  I  had  ever  had  of  a  whale  at  sea,  From  there 
we  went  to  La  Libertad,  in  Salvador,  and  then  to 
Punta  Arenas,  in  Costa  Rica.  This  is  a  pretty 
little  town.  It  is  situated  at  the  head  of  a  beauti 
ful  cove,  surrounded  on  three  sides  by  lofty  moun 
tains,  rich  in  gold  and  silver  mines,  which  are 
being  developed  by  English  and  American  capi 
tal. 

The  town  lies  near  the  water,  half  hidden 
among  trees  of  the  most  magnificent  foliage  of  a 
tropical  clime.  The  trees  grow  down  to  a  beauti 
ful  beach  of  black  sand,  which  lines  the  shore  for 


JAMES    BATC'HELDER.  211 

miles  on  either  hand.  The  harbor  here  is  not  a 
good  one,  it  being  open  to  the  sea,  In  fact,  the 
Pacific  Coast  from  Acapulco  to  Panama  has  no 
good  harbors,  and  the  landing  of  passengers  from 
ocean  steamers  is  very  dangerous  if  the  weather  is 
rough.  It  sometimes  happens  that  passengers  im 
ports  north  of  Panama  cannot  be  landed,  but  are 
obliged  to  go  on  to  Panama  and  try  to  land  on 
the  up  trip. 

From  Punta  Arenas  I  went  to  Panama,  thus 
completing  my  voyage  by  the  steamship  Colima. 
The  passage  was  not  attended  by  any  remarkable 
circumstance.  During  the  entire  trip  we  had 
beautiful  weather,  the  sea  being  as  smooth  as 
the  inland  seas  of  Alaska,  Our  passenger  list  was 
not  large.  The  time  was  spent  in  reading,  writ 
ing,  playing  cards,  telling  stories,  and  in  other 
amusements  so  common  on  an  ocean  voyage.  It 
would  be  monotonous  to  the  reader  if  I  should 
describe  the  pleasures  and  discomforts  of  a  long 
ocean  journey  which  must  be  enjoyed  or  suffered 
by  travelers.  It  will  be  sufficient  to  state  that 
the  voyage  was  accomplished  without  mishap,  and 
with  probably  less  than  the  usual  discomforts  of 
so  long  a  journey. 

Panama  is  one  of  the  oldest  towns  on  the 
American  Continent.  It  was  settled  before  Cortez 
entered  Mexico  and  before  the  conquest  of  Peru 
by  Pizarro.  It  was  sacked  and  burned  by  that 
buccaneer,  Henry  Morgan,  in  1670,  and  has  suf- 


212  LIFE   AND    TRAVELS   OF 

fered  by  pestilence  and  fire  many  times  since.  It 
has  a  population  of  about  twenty  thousand,  most 
of  which  are  black.  It  is  a  poverty-stricken  place. 
Its  money  has  but  little  value,  it  being  forty  per 
cent  below  par  for  American  gold. 

There  is  a  public  plaza  here— a  small  open  space 
where  the  populace  gather  in  the  evening  to  listen 
to  music  by  a  military  band,  played  twice  a  week. 
Otherwise  there  is  nothing  to  see  to  interest  any 
one  except  the  view  from  the  sea  wall.  From 
here  we  have  a  fine  view  of  the  beautiful  bay,  with 
its  score  of  islands,  its  many  steamers  and  sails, 
a  land  view  of  the  town  and  hills  in  its  vicinity, 
and  a  long  line  of  coast  with  range  upon  range  of 
the  beautiful  forest  region  of  the  isthmus. 

I  was  detained  here  twelve  days,  the  steamer 
that  should  have  left  for  the  south  being  in  quar 
antine  at  Callao.  While  I  was  here,  I  visited  a 
portion  of  the  work  that  is  being  done  on  the 
Panama  Canal,  which,  when  completed,  will  con 
nect  the  Atlantic  with  the  Pacific  Oceans.  It  is  a 
gigantic  piece  of  work,  and  has  already  cost  about 
two  hundred  millions  of  dollars,  and  is  only  about 
half  done. 

After  my  twelve  days'  stay  here  I  embarked  on 
the  Pacific  Navigation  Company's  steamer  Santa 
Rosa  for  Callao.  It  was  dark  when  the  Santa  Rosa 
raised  anchor  and  started  on  her  voyage  south 
ward.  When  morning  came,  we  found  ourselves 
clear  of  the  Bay  of  Panama,  on  the  broad  Pacific, 
and  out  of  sight  of  land. 


JAMES    BATCHELDKR.  213 

On  the  morning  of  the  third  day  out  we  crossed 
the  equator  and  could  see  Dead  Man's  Island.  It 
looked  like  some  gigantic  corpse  floating  on  the 
water.  This  island  lies  off  the  Gulf  of  Guyaquil, 
and  is  a  landmark  for  seamen. 

Our  course  was  now  changed,  and  we  steamed 
eastward.  On  our  left  was  the  Island  Puna,  on 
which  Pizarro  organized  his  forces  at  the  time  of 
his  conquest  of  Peru.  We  soon  came  into  the 
Guyaquil  River,  whose  banks  are  covered  with 
superb  tropical  vegetation,  relieved  at  intervals 
by  picturesque  cane-built  native  huts. 

The  city  of  Guyaquil  lies  about  seventy-five 
miles  inland,  on  this  river.  It  is  the  largest  port 
in  the  Republic  of  Ecuador,  there  being  a  popula 
tion  of  nearly  fifty  thousand.  It  is  quite  an  im 
posing  place,  with  its  high  towers,  fine  buildings, 
broad  streets,  and  good  system  of  street  cars. 

The  pineapple  of  Guyaquil  is  famous  all  over 
South  America,  on  account  of  its  size  and  flavor. 
Under  favorable  circumstances  the  great  volcano 
of  Chimborazo,  towering  twenty-one  thousand  four 
hundred  and  twenty  feet  above  the  sea,  can  be 
seen  from  this  port,  but  clouds  rested  upon  the 
mountains  and  I  missed  the  view.  From  here 
southward  there  is  little  to  interest  the  traveler. 
The  wooded  shores  of  Equador  soon  disappear 
and  the  aspect  becomes  entirely  changed. 

The  whole  coast  of  Peru  for  two  thousand  miles 
is  a  dreary  waste  of  sand  and  rock,  unrelieved  by 


214 


LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 


tree,  shrub,  or  blade  of  grass,  except  at  long  inter 
vals,  where  there  are  narrow  valleys  of  green, 
marking  the  course  of  some  small  river,  strug 
gling  down  from  the  mountains  to  the  sea. 

We  landed  at  Payta,  the  most  northern  point 
in  Peru,  and  then  at  several  other  small  towns 
which  are  connected  by  rail  with  larger  towns 
back  in  the  interior,  and  afterward  went  on  to 
Callao. 

As  I  have  said  before,  the  entire  coast  of  Peru  is 
barren  and  uninteresting,  but,  looking  back  for 
miles  upon  the  distant  ranges  of  mountains  which 
rise  one  above  the  other,  until  they  unite  with  the 
great  chain  of  the  Andes,  pinnacle  upon  pinnacle 
of  the  purest  white,  tower  like  clouds  above  the 
dark  outlines  of  the  nearer  mountains  and  form  a 
picture  once  seen  not  easily  forgotten. 

We  had  crossed  the  line  before  reaching  Guya- 
quil,  and  had  had  the  sun  very  nearly  over  our 
heads  all  the  way  to  Callao.  All  along,  near  the 
equator,  on  dark  nights,  the  water  was  so  full  of 
phosphorus  that  the  ocean  seemed  to  be  in  a  flame, 
and  sparks  of  fire  appeared  to  rise  from  the  sur 
face.  A  cloud  of  light  was  seen  traversing  the 
waves  as  far  as  the  eye  could  see. 

Callao  is  the  port  for  Lima.  It  has  a  fine  har 
bor,  large,  beautiful,  and  perfectly  secure  for  ship 
ping.  The  largest  vessels  can  lie  here  with  safety 
This  magnificent  harbor  is  sheltered  by  the  long, 
lofty  island  rock  of  San  Loren/o,  looming  up  about 
four  miles  across  the  channel. 


JAMES    BATCHELDER. 


215 


Callao  has  suffered  from  earthquakes  at  various 
times.  Those  doing  the  greatest  amount  of  dam 
age  occurred  in  1693  and  1746.  At  the  latter 
date  Callao  was  sunk  and  the  country  around  was 
entirely  submerged  by  the  tidal  wave  which  fol 
lowed  the  earthquake.  There  were  at  the  time 
twenty-three  vessels  in  the  harbor,  nineteen  of 
which  were  sunk.  The  other  four  were  carried 
some  distance  on  shore  by  the  force  of  the  wave. 
The  spot  inland  where  these  vessels  were  stranded, 
is  still  pointed  out  to  the  visitor.  Out  of  a  popu 
lation  of  four  thousand  people  only  four  hundred 
are  said  to  have  escaped. 

There  are  two  lines  of  railroad  plying  between 
the  port  and  the  capital.  Each  line  runs  trains 
every  alternate  hour  all  the  day  long,  and  by  one 
of  these  I  proceeded  direct  to  Lima,  This  city 
was  founded  by  Pizarro,  the  discoverer  and  con 
queror  of  Peru,  in  1535.  He  called  it  the  City  of 
the  Kings,  for  the  permanant  seat  of  the  govern 
ment.  Here  he  settled  and  resided  until  he  fell 
by  the  hands  of  assassins,  in  1541.  The  palace 
that  he  built  is  still  standing,  but  has  been  par 
tially  destroyed  by  fire  several  times  and  as  many 
times  been  repaired.  It  is  now  used  as  the  official 
residence  of  the  head  of  the  government,  and  as 
quarters  for  a  detachment  of  troops. 

The  city  is  located  on  a  plain,  on  both  sides  of 
the  river  Rimac,  which  is  spanned  by  a  stone 
bridge — an  ancient  and  massive  structure  of  six 


LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

arches,  built  in  1610.  It  has  recesses  on  each  side* 
furnished  with  seats,  which  are  much  frequented 
by  the  lower  class  on  pleasant  evenings.  The  city 
is  full  of  churches  and  convents.  There  are  no 
fewer  than  sixty-six  Catholic  Churches,  occupying 
the  most  valuable  property  in  the  city,  and  are 
exempt  from  taxation.  They  are  all  very  wealthy. 
The  celebrated  cathedral  is  one  of  the  wealthiest 
churches  in  the  world,  and  equal  to  the  famous 
cathedral  in  the  City  of  Mexico.  It  fronts  on  the 
grand  plaza  and  is  a  massive  structure.  It  is 
three  hundred  and  seventy-three  feet  long  and 
one  hundred  and  seventy-five  feet  wide.  The 
roof  and  galleries  are  supported  by  Doric  columns 
eighty-four  feet  high  and  nine  feet  in  diameter  at 
the  base. 

The  grand  altar  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
pieces  of  carved  work  in  the  world.  It  was  done 
by  artists  of  the  sixteenth  century.  The  entire 
inside  is  richly  ornamented  with  gold  and  silver. 
There  are  no  pews,  but  almost  everyone  carries  a 
rug  or  mat,  remaining  constantly  kneeling  upon 
tliis  during  the  service.  It  has  a  chime  of  bells, 
the  largest  of  which  weighs  four  tons.  It  was 
cast  in  Madrid,  Spain,  in  1533.  The  clapper 
alone  weighs  three  hundred  pounds.  The  tower 
where  these  bells  hang  is  reached  by  a  narrow, 
winding  stairway.  There  are  three  organs  in  this 
church,  one  of  which  is  said  to  be  the  third  larg 
est  in  the  world. 


JAMES    BAT('IIKU>Kli.  217 

There  is  a  very  beautiful  Jesuit  Church  in  this 
city,  that  has  a  hell  which  was  cast  during  the 
early  days  of  Spanish  rule.  It  is  said  that  when 
the  metal  was  melting,  the  ladies  of  Lima  in  pass 
ing  by  threw  in  all  their  jewelry  and  ornaments 
of  gold  and  silver.  It  has  a  very  sweet  tone.  It 
is  sounded  every  evening,  striking  the  hour  of 
nine  o'clock. 

The  grand  plaza  is  a  gay  place  during  the 
evenings.  It  is  here  that  one  can  see  all  the  gay 
and  beautiful  life  of  Lima.  Two  of  its  sides  are 
occupied  by  the  government  house  and  the  ca 
thedral.  The  other  sides  are  lined  with  portals 
or  arcades,  behind  which  are  retail  shops  filled 
with  everything  that  can  be  found  in  London  or 
Paris.  In  the  middle  of  this  plaza,  surrounded 
by  beautiful  flowers,  shrubbery,  and  statuary,  is  a 
magnificent  bronzed  fountain.  The  shaft  is  forty- 
two  feet  high.  It  stands  in  the  center  of  a  reser 
voir  or  iron  tank  twenty  feet  across  and  four  feet 
high,  which  rests  upon  a  raised  stone  platform 
and  is  beautifully  ornamented.  Perched  upon 
the  edge  of  this  tank  are  eight  lions  mounted 
upon  the  backs  of  as  many  griffins,  each  spurting 
a  tiny  stream  of  water  from  his  mouth  into  a 
large  basin  ten  feet  above.  Over  this  is  another 
basin  that  receives  the  water  which  comes  trick 
ling  down  011  an  inverted  basin  above.  From 
this  it  drops  into  the  basin  belowT  by  many 
streams  and  then  into  the  reservoir.  The  whole 


LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

is  surmounted  by  a  bronze  figure  representing 
Gabriel  in  the  act  of  blowing  his  trumpet.  Be 
sides  this  principal  fountain,  there  are  smaller  ones 
at  each  corner  of  the  plaza  used  as  drinking 
fountains. 

There  is  another  very  fine  plaza,or  public  square, 
here  called  Indepeiidencia,  which  is  adorned  by  a 
magnificent  bronze  equestrian  statue  of  Boliver, 
the  liberator  of  Peru  from  the  Spanish  yoke.  It 
was  cast  in  Munich  and  is  thirteen  feet  nine 
inches  high.  The  horse  is  represented  as  rearing, 
while  the  liberator  waves  his  hat  with  his  right 
hand,  thus  throwing  open  his  cloak  and  displaying 
his  uniform  beneath.  On  the  sides  of  the  marble 
pedestal  are  bronze  tablets  representing  the  deci 
sive  battles  which  secured  Peruvian  independence. 
Another  tablet  bears  the  national  arms.  It  is 
placed  on  the  spot  where  the  victims  of  the  In 
quisition  were  burned.  The  Inquisition  was  a 
tribunal  of  rigid  despotism.  Every  year  vast  num 
bers  of  persons  suspected  of  crimes  were  brought 
here  from  all  parts  of  the  country,  to  be  tried  by 
this  Inquisition.  Most  of  them  were  doomed  to 
a  dreadful  punishment. 

The  houses  are  built  so  as  to  guard  as  much  as 
possible  against  destruction  of  life  by  the  frequent 
occurrence  of  earthquake.  Most  of  them  are  only 
one  story  high.  The  walls  are  of  matted  cane, 
frescoed  on  the  outside  in  imitation  of  stone. 
The  roofs  are  flat,  because  the  lack  of  rain  renders 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  219 

a  pitched  roof  unnecessary.  The  houses  of  some 
of  the  better  classes  are  elegantly  fitted  up  and 
furnished.  They  all  open  onto  a  portico  or  inner 
court  yard,  which  is  often  converted  into  a 
beautiful  garden  thus  inclosed  by  the  house. 

The  ladies  of  Lima,  as  a  rule,  are  very  beautiful. 
The  people  of  the  upper  class  are  highly  culti 
vated,  refined,  and  have  agreeable  manners. 
They  are,  when  on  the  street,  enveloped  in  a 
manto.  This  is  a  long  black  shawl  sometimes 
plain  and  often  richly  embroidered  and  trimmed 
with  lace.  It  covers  the  head  and  is  wrapped  in 
loose  folds  around  the  person.  It  is  held  by  one 
hand  over  the  face,  so  that  only  the  eyes  can  be 
seen.  It  is  very  attractive  and  interesting. 

While  I  was  here,  I  witnessed  a  bullfight,  so 
common  in  Spanish  countries;  but,  as  I  gave  a 
full  description  of  one  of  these  brutal  scenes  in  a 
previous  chapter,  I  will  only  say  that  the  same 
cruel  scenes  were  enacted  as  before. 

Lima  is  twelve  degrees  south  of  the  equator. 
It  never  rains  here,  but  there  is  a  cloud  of  vapor 
that  hangs  over  this  section  during  the  summer 
months,  so  that  vegetation  will  grow  without  irri 
gation.  The  climate  of  Lima  is  delightful.  The 
heat  is  not  so  great  as  at  other  places  in  the  same 
latitude,  011  account  of  the  cool  breezes  that  blow 
from  the  Pacific  and  down  the  snowy  sides  of  the 
Cordilleras.  While  I  was  here  I  took  a  trip  over 
the  Oroya  Railroad.  This  road  was  built  by 


220  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

Harry  Meggs,  the  great  railroad  contractor  of 
South  America,  It  is  one  of  the  most  wonderful 
feats  of  engineering  skill  in  the  world.  It  is  not 
completed,  hut  when  finished,  it  will  run  over  a 
pass  in  the  Andes  fifteen  thousand  seven  hundred 
and  twenty-two  feet  above  the  sea,  and  connect 
the  rich,  fertile  valley  of  the  Amazon  River  with 
the  seaboard  of  Peru.  It  will  also  establish  by 
rail  and  boat  a  steam  communication  between 
the  Pacific  and  the  Atlantic  Oceans. 

Leaving  Lima  the  road  runs  along  the  valley 
of  the  Rimac  for  nearly  fifteen  miles,  on  an  almost 
level  plain.  We  next  enter  a  narrow  gorge, 
where  the  stream  comes  down  in  a  rushing  torrent 
over  a  stony  bed.  As  we  advance,  the  slopes  on 
either  side  become  higher  and  steeper  and  nearly 
bare  of  vegetation  until  we  reach  Chosica,  about 
twenty-six  miles  from  Lima.  Chosica  has  an 
elevation  of  two  thousand  eight  hundred  and 
thirty-one  feet.  Here  the  chief  gradings  and 
great  curves  of  the  line  begin.  Looking  ahead,  we 
seem  to  be  about  to  dash  against  the  side  of  a 
mountain  of  rocks,  when  the  train  stops,  com 
mences  to  back  up  on  a  higher  zigzag,  then  it 
stops  again  and  is  drawn  up  another.  This  is 
done  four  times,  always  at  a  different  level  above 
the  same  point  in  the  valley. 

The  tunnels  along  the  line  are  frequent.  Some 
times  one  is  directly  above  the  other.  We  rise 
seven  thousand  three  hundred  and  seventeen  feet 


JAMES  BATCH  ELDER.  221 

in  the  distance  of  only  thirty-four  miles.  All  of 
these  turnings  and  windings  with  the  mouths  of 
the  tunnels  can  be  seen  above,  at  a  great  height. 
Those  we  have  just  left  can  be  seen  in  the  deep 
abyss  beneath.  It  seems  as  if  we  are  climbing  an 
immense  staircase.  We  pass  over  deep,  broad  ra 
vines  that  are  spanned  by  huge  iron  bridges. 
We  can  look  down  directly  into  the  chasm  below. 

Forty-eight  miles  from  Lima  is  the  most  strik 
ing  scene  on  the  entire  route.  In  front,  the  river 
rushes  out  of  a  narrow  cliff,  while  on  either  hand 
the  mountains  rise  to  a  prodigious  height  with  a 
steeper  declivity  than  I  have  seen  anywhere  else. 
The  deep  chasm,  the  roar  of  the  river  in  the  chan 
nel  below,  the  towering  masses  above,  leaving  but 
a  strip  of  sky  in  view,  combined  to  form  an  im 
pression  of  its  awful  grandeur  not  soon  to  be  for 
gotten. 

Through  the  courtesy  of  the  engineer,  I  was  al 
lowed  to  ride  on  the  engine  through  the  most  in 
teresting  part  of  this  scenery.  The  present  ter 
minus  of  the  road  is  at  Chicla,  about  eighty  miles 
from  Lima  and  twelve  thousand  two  hundred  and 
twenty  feet  above  the  sea. 

From  here  on,  everything  has  to  go  by  pack 
trains  of  mules  or  llamas,  over  fearfully  rough 
trails.  When  the  tunnel  through  Mt.  Meggs  will 
be  finished,  it  will  reach  an  elevation  of  fifteen 
thousand  seven  hundred  and  twenty-two  feet,  and 
will  mark  the  greatest  height  to  which  human  in 
genuity  has  forced  the  locomotive. 


222  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

On  my  return  from  this  most  interesting  trip  I 
embarked  on  the  steamship  Ecuador,  at  Callas,  for 
Mollendo.  This  latter  place  has  rather  a  danger 
ous  harbor.  The  landing  is  made  by  means  of 
small  boats  through  the  surf.  One  is  lucky  if  lie 
manages  to  get  on  the  small  wharf  without  a 
ducking. 

From  here  to  Puno,  on  Lake  Titicaca,  three 
hundred  and  twenty-five  miles'  distance,  is  a  fine 
line  of  railroad.  It  is  built  on  an  easier  and  more 
economical  plan  than  the  Oroya  line.  The 
mountain  passes  are  lower  and  other  obstacles 
less  formidable.  After  staying  two  days  at  Mol 
lendo  I  started  for  Arequipa.  We  soon  began  to 
ascend  the  foothills  to  Tanbo,  one  thousand  feet 
elevation,  leaving  the  fine  fertile  valley  of  Tanbo 
to  our  right,  down  below.  From  here  we  pro 
ceeded  along  splendidly  constructed  serpentine 
lines  of  railroad  gradings,  without  tunnels  or  via 
ducts,  and  with  scarcely  any  artificial  embank 
ments,  rising  along  the  mountain  slopes  to  Cach- 
endo,  three  thousand  two  hundred  and  fifty  feet 
above  the  sea.  Just  before  reaching  this  station 
we  turned  a  sharp  curve,  and  the  glorious  sight  of 
the  great  middle  Cordillera  burst  upon  my  eyes, 
with  the  snow-covered  peaks  of  Coropuna,  twenty- 
two  thousand  eight  hundred  feet  high ;  Char- 
chani,  nineteen  thousand;  Misti,  eighteen  thou 
sand  six  hundred  and  fifty,  and  Pichupichu, 
seventeen  thousand  eight  hundred  feet  above  the 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  223 

sea.  The  last  three  surround  the  city  of  Are 
quipa,  and  appear  so  near  as  to  be  in  the  im 
mediate  neighborhood. 

Higher  up  the  mountain  the  road  is  forced 
through  barren  rocks,  with  not  a  bit  of  vegetation. 
At  last,  at  station  Tiavaya,  six  thousand  seven 
hundred  and  fifty  feet  high,  we  got  the  first 
glimpses  into  the  green  valley  of  the  Arequipa 
River.  Farther  on,  the  many  towers  and  high 
church  buildings  of  the  town  itself  come  in  sight, 
and  a  few  minutes  later  the  train  runs  into  the 
fine  station  of  the  famous  city  of  Arequipa,  seven 
thousand  five  hundred  and  fifty  feet  above  the 
sea.  This  is  a  very  pretty  city,  of  nearly  fifty 
thousand  inhabitants.  It  resembles  the  city  of 
Guatemala  in  nearly  every  detail.  It  is  situated 
in  a  beautiful  valley,  green  with  fruit  and  vege 
tables  of  almost  every  known  kind,  and  watered 
by  the  Arequipa  River,  that  passes  through  the 
city. 

Like  every  other  South  American  city  I  have 
seen,  it  has  its  grand  plaza,  with  the  cathedral 
forming  one  side,  and  closed  in  on  the  other  sides 
by  substantial  buildings,  all  having  portals,  under 
which  a  lively  retail  trade  is  carried  on.  This 
plaza  has  a  garden  in  its  center,  full  of  gay  flow 
ers  and  shrubs.  In  the  middle  of  this  garden  is 
a  magnificent  bronze  fountain  with  three  basins. 
From  the  middle  basin  rises  a  pillar,  surmounted 
by  the  figure  of  Fame  spouting  the  wrater  from  her 


224  LIFK    AND    TKAVKLS    OF 

trumpet.  The  water  pours  from  the  mouths  of 
four  lions  into  the  other  two  basins.  On  each 
corner  of  the  plaza  are  small  drinking  fountains. 
A  band  plays  on  the  plaza  every  Thursday  and 
Sunday  evenings  to  a  large  concourse  of  people 
of  both  sexes,  who  promenade  to  the  lively  strains 
of  the  music. 

The  cathedral  is  considered  one  of  the  finest 
buildings  in  South  America.  It  is  built  entirely 
of  square  blocks  of  white  sandstone.  The  interior 
contains  a  new  pulpit,  beautifully  carved  of  solid 
oak  and  executed  in  France  in  1871).  It  was  the 
gift  of  a  rich  Auquipan  lady. 

Nearly  all  the  buildings  are  constructed  with  im 
mensely  thick  walls,  and  are  only  one  story  high, 
on  account  of  the  earthquakes  which  occur  so  fre 
quently  here.  Scarcely  a  week  passes  without 
some  trembling  of  the  earth,  but  little  damage 
has  been  done  since  1868.  The  city  was  almost 
destroyed  at  that  time,  and  from  five  to  six  hun 
dred  people  were  lost.  The  consequences  can 
still  be  perceived  in  the  heaps  of  shapeless  ruins 
all  around  the  town.  Nearly  every  church  and 
house  still  bear  the  traces  of  that  tremendous  con 
vulsion  of  the  earth. 

From  Arequipa  I  went  by  rail  to  Puno.  After 
leaving  the  station  the  train  soon  crosses  the  val 
ley  and  river  on  a  fine  trestle  bridge  sixty  feet 
high  and  one  thousand  feet  long.  Ascending  in 
sharp  curves,  it  winds  around  the  base  of  Mt. 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  225 

Charcbani  to  Aguas  Calientes,  nine  thousand  five 
hundred  feet  above  the  level  of  the  Pacific. 
About  four  miles  above  this  station  the  steepest 
and  most  wonderfully  constructed  gradings  and 
sharp  curves  begin.  Five  long  winding  turns  of 
the  track,  one  above  the  other,  can  be  seen. 

We  were  now  right  in  the  middle  range  of  the 
Andes — no  watershed — no  Sierras,  the  land  form 
ing  numerous  terraced  plains  varying  from  nine 
thousand  feet  to  fourteen  thousand  feet  in  height 
stretching  toward  east  and  west  for  miles  and 
miles.  Isolated  mountains,  mostly  extinguished 
volcanoes,  are  scattered  over  the  plains.  Higher 
and  higher  up  these  plateaus  the  train  winds. 
The  only  vegetation  to  be  seen  is  some  specimens 
of  the  cactus  family  similar  to  those  found  in 
Mexico,  Southern  California,  and  Arizona. 

We  soon  reached  Crucero  Alto,  one  hundred 
and  eighteen  miles  from  Arequipa,  and  fourteen 
thousand  six  hundred  and  sixty-six  feet  in  eleva 
tion.  This  is  the  highest  point  of  the  road,  and, 
up  to  the  present  time,  the  highest  ever  traversed 
by  locomotives  and  trains. 

Now  gradually  descending,  we  wound  around 
the  mountain  lakes  of  Saracocha,  thirteen  thou 
sand  five  hundred  and  ninety-five  feet,  and  Cachi- 
pascana,  thirteen  thousand  five  hundred  and 
eighty-five  feet  above  the  sea.  The  outlet  of 
these  lakes  runs  east  and  flows  into  Lake  Titi- 
caca.  A  long  winding  around  the  hills,  run- 
15 


220  LIFE    AND   TRAVELS    OF 

ning  nearly  on  a  dead  level,  brings  us  to  Puno, 
two  hundred  and  eighteen  miles  from  Arequipa, 
and  twelve  thousand  five  hundred  and  forty 
feet  above  the  sea.  We  must  stay  at  Puno  over 
night  and  take  the  steamer  the  next  morning  on 
Lake  Titicaca  for  Chililaya. 

This  lake  is  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles 
long  and  forty  miles  wide.  It  is  the  highest  nav 
igable  lake  in  the  world.  It  is  twelve  thousand 
five  hundred  and  five  feet  above  the  sea.  There  are 
two  small  screw  steamers  running  on  this  lake. 
These  steamers  have  a  freight-carrying  capacity 
of  about  one  hundred  and  twenty  tons.  They 
have  accommodation  for  twenty -four  first-class  pas 
sengers.  The  oldest  of  these  steamers  was  years 
ago  brought  up  to  Puno  in  pieces  from  Tacna,  on 
the  backs  of  mules  and  llamas,  over  the  fearfully 
rough  Cordillera  of  Tacara.  The  pass  reaches 
an  elevation  of  fifteen  thousand  feet.  It  was  an 
achievement  which  at  the  time  a  great  many  peo 
ple  thought  impossible,  and  it  was  ridiculed  even 
in  the  European  papers. 

I  will  not  undertake  a  description  of  the  beau 
ties  of  this  lake  and  the  road  beyond,  for  I  cannot 
do  it  justice.  The  mountains  around  the  lake 
slope  down  to  the  water's  edge  in  a  succession  of 
headlands,  forming  charming  bays  and  narrow 
channels,  never  allowing  the  sight  of  land  to  be 
lost.  The  lake  is  full  of  islands,  most  of  which 
are  considered  sacred  by 'the  descendants  of  the 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  227 

Incas.  These  islands  were  dedicated  to  the  sun 
and  to  the  moon  by  their  forefathers.  There  are 
many  ruins  of  beautiful  structures  here,  now 
called  palaces  of  the  Virgin,  of  the  sun,  the  tem 
ple  of  the  moon,  etc.  Tradition  says  that  in  the 
islands  of  this  lake  were  developed  the  germs  of 
Inca  civilization,  when  they  established  the  seat 
of  government  at  Cuzco. 

We  anchored  once  during  the  trip.  It  was  off 
Copocabana,  a  small  town  on  the  large  peninsula 
of  the  same  name.  It  belongs  to  Bolivia.  Here 
is  the  shrine  of  Our  Virgin  of  Copocabana,  far 
famed  over  the  Andes  provinces  of  Peru  and  Bo 
livia.  Thousands  of  pilgrims,  not  only  poor  In 
dians  but  also  a  great  many  of  the  best  families, 
particularly  from  La  Paz  and  the  surrounding 
villages,  unite  here  every  year  to  pay  tribute  to 
the  Virgin  during  the  great  church  feasts  in 
A  ugust. 

Soon  we  started  again,  when  the  fine  panorama 
of  the  immense  snow-capped  range  of  the  Eastern 
Cordillera  gradually  began  to  rise  on  the  horizon. 
It  slowly  showed  more  plainly,  until  the  entire 
long  chain  of  the  mountain  giants  came  into  view, 
with  their  fields  of  perpetual  snow  and  their  large 
glaciers  creeping  down  their  sides,  overlooked  by 
the  gigantic  Illampo  Sorato,  twenty-one  thousand 
two  hundred  feet  high,  the  sharp  pyramid  of 
Huaina  Potozi,  twenty  thousand  two  hundred 
feet,  and  the  magnificent  three-peaked  Illimani. 
They  were  in  full  view  all  the  way  to  La  Paz. 


228  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

This  was  the  most  sublime  panorama  of  moun 
tain  scenery  I  had  ever  seen.  Long  chapters 
might  be  written  to  describe  the  beauties  of  the 
mountain  scenery  in  the  Andes,  but  space  will 
not  permit  of  it  in  this. 

I  have  visited  the  mountain  regions  of  Alaska, 
the  Rocky  Mountains,  the  White  Mountains  of 
New  Hampshire,  the  Green  Mountains  of  Ver 
mont,  the  Alleghanies  and  the  Alpine  region  of 
Switzerland,  but  I  have  seen  nothing  that  will 
equal  in  beauty  and  grandeur  the  view  that  can 
be  enjoyed  from  a  trip  over  this  route. 

When  we  landed  at  Chililaya,  we  took  the  stage 
for  La  Paz.  We  traveled  along  the  table-lands 
for  forty-eight  miles.  The  stage  is  an  immense 
wagon  drawn  by  eight  horses  and  will  accommo 
date  eighteen  persons.  We  had  a  ride  of  seven 
hours  with  three  changes  of  horses. 

Our  first  sight  of  La  Paz  was  from  a  high  ridge 
above  the  valley  on  which  the  city  stands,  and 
which  we  descend  by  zigzag  turnings.  The  view 
from  this  bluff  is  grand  indeed.  Sixteen  hundred 
feet  below,  and  directly  under  us  in  a  broad  ravine, 
was  spread  the  city  of  La  Paz.  Deep  below  were 
the  grayish  groups  of  houses  of  the  town,  divided 
by  the  gulch  of  the  river  and  relieved  here  and 
there  by  green  patches  of  fields  and  meadows,  as 
well  as  by  the  trees  and  blooming  shrubbery, 
having  as  a  background  the  splendid  white  masses 
of  the  long  range  of  the  Cordilleras. 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  229 

Descending  an  excellent  serpentine  road  and 
further  on  through  the  narrow  crooked  outskirts 
and  streets  of  the  city  itself,  which  are  quite 
pretty,  I  reached  my  hotel. 

La  Paz  has  about  eighty  thousand  inhabitants. 
It  is  one  of  the  highest  cities  in  the  world,  being 
twelve  thousand  one  hundred  and  ten  feet  above 
the  sea.  Although  the  capital  of  Bolivia  is  at 
Sucar,  all  the  foreign  ministers  reside  at  La  Paz, 
and  during  the  war  with  Chile  the  Legislature  met 
here,  in  order  to  be  nearer  to  the  seat  of  hostilities. 

Near  here  are  grown  all  the  products  of  the 
temperate  zone,  and  not  far  away  on  the  eastern 
slope  can  be  seen  all  the  luxuries  of  a  tropical 
vegetation.  The  large  market  halls  offer,  every 
morning,  a  highly  interesting  picture  of  genuine 
Indian  life.  Members  of  all  the  different  tribes 
are  seen.  They  are  chiefly  women,  and  are  very 
picturesque  in  their  gay-ribboned  headdresses 
and  dark  homespun  woolen  garments.  Some 
flock  in  from  their  remote  hamlets,  often  many 
miles  away,  and  bring  for  sale  their  scant}  prod 
ucts  of  barley,  potatoes,  hot  peppers,  etc.,  while 
others  come  from  the  rich  Yungas  Valley,  about 
twenty-five  miles  away,  and  at  least  five  thousand 
feet  lower,  leading  their  mules  and  llamas,  heav 
ily  laden  with  the  finest  and  choicest  fruits  of  the 
tropical  region,  which  they  sell  at  astonishingly 
low  prices. 

The  La  Paz  River  is  one  of  the  head  streams  of 


230  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

the  mighty  Amazon,  which  goes  rushing  through 
dark,  deep  ravines,  full  of  cascades  and  roaring 
cataracts,  down  to  the  great  Brazilian  plains. 

On  my  return  voyage  to  Puno  we  got  the  full 
benefit  of  one  of  the  bursters,  so  much  dreaded 
here.  It  was  indeed  a  rough  night,  and  the 
storm  handled  our  little  steamer  in  a  fearful  man 
ner.  Some  of  the  passengers  got  seasick  and 
paid  tribute  to  the  god  of  Lake  Titicaca  as  faith 
fully  as  they  would  have  done  to  old  Neptune 
himself  under  similar  circumstances.  I  suffered 
in  no  way  except  from  a  sleepless  night  and  by 
having  my  baggage  well  soaked  with  water,  that 
came  into  the  cabin  when  the  sea  rolled  over  the 
deck. 

From  Puno  I  returned  to  Arequipa,  where  I 
stayed  fourteen  days  awaiting  a  steamer  for  Chile. 
At  almost  any  point  I  visited  in  Peru  I  could  see 
ruins  of  ancient  towns  and  cities  that  were  once 
inhabited  by  the  Incas.  In  these  can  be  traced 
vestiges  of  castles,  wralls  for  defenses,  remains  of 
palaces,  dwellings,  nights  of  stone  steps,  stone 
towers,  aqueducts,  reservoirs,  foundries,  prisons, 
and  tombs.  In  excavating  the  last,  many  articles 
of  gold  and  silver,  with  great  quantities  of  pottery, 
silver  coins,  etc.,  have  been  taken  from  them. 

Business  in  Peru  is  very  dull  at  the  present 
time.  It  has  never  recovered  from  the  effects  of 
the  war  with  Chile.  The  government  was  left 
poor  and  many  wealthy  families  were  reduced  to 


JAMES   BATCHELDER.  231 

poverty.  The  ruins  and  wrecks  in  Lima,  Mol- 
lendo,  and  other  places, give  still  a  sad  picture  of 
what  happened  during  the  unfortunate  war. 

The  Chilean  army,  after  conquering  the  coun 
try,  stole  many  articles  of  value,  such  as  wild 
animals  from  the  zoological  garden  in  Lima,  valu 
able  libraries,  statuary  from  public  gardens,  orna 
mental  street  lamps,  etc.,  and  conveyed  them  to 
Chile. 

The  Peruvians  have  a  native  drink  called  Chi- 
che,  which  is  made  of  Indian  corn,  and  contains 
all  the  nutriment  there  is  in  the  corn.  It  is  pleas 
ant  to  the  taste,  healthy  and  cheap.  It  is  used  in 
large  quantities  by  the  poor  people,  and  supplies 
in  a  great  measure  the  necessity  for  more  solid 
food. 

The  Indians  of  Peru  are  called  Cholers.  They 
are  the  pure  descendants  of  the  Incas.  Some  of 
them  are  quite  good  looking.  The  men  wear  a 
poncho,  a  large  shawl  with  a  hole  in  the  center, 
through  which  the  head  goes.  The  folds  come 
down  to  the  knees.  They  are  never  without  this. 
It  makes  an  overcoat  by  day  and  a  blanket  by 
night.  The  women  wear  short  dresses  reaching 
to  the  ankles,  and  Panama  hats. 

All  along  these  high  mountain  passes  I  saw 
large  flocks  of  exceedingly  beautiful  little  animals 
called  vicunas.  They  are  much  valued  for  their 
fine  and  precious  wool,  which  is  spun  and  woven 
into  beautiful  shawls  and  other  fine  woolen  goods 
by  the  Indians. 


LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

1  was  told  at  Mollendo  that  while  traveling  in 
these  great  altitudes  I  would  be  likely  to  suffer 
from  serocha,  a  kind  of  mountain  sickness,  the  ef 
fects  of  which  vary  with  different  individuals, 
as  does  seasickness.  I  was  not  troubled  with  this 
in  the  least,  but  I  observed  it  in  others,  and  it  ap 
peared  to  annihilate  all  pleasure  that  they  might 
otherwise  have  enjoyed. 

Leaving  Arequipa  I  went  to  Mollendo  and  took 
passage  on  the  steamship  Virgila  for  Chile.  On 
the  passage  to  Valparaiso  a  most  unfortunate  oc 
currence  took  place  in  the  death  of  the  steward  of 
the  ship.  He  died  suddenly,  and,  there  being  no 
doctor  on  board,  it  was  impossible  to  procure  a 
certificate  stating  the  cause  of  his  death.  This  oc 
casioned  great  uneasiness  among  the  passengers, 
for  fear  we  might  be  ordered  into  quarantine  on 
our  arrival  at  Valparaiso.  Fortunately,  this  was 
not  done,  and  we  were  allowed  to  go  on  shore. 

Valparaiso,  which  means  the  Vale  of  Paradise, 
has  a  fine  harbor.  Hundreds  of  crafts  can  be 
seen  here,  bearing  the  flags  of  almost  every  nation 
in  the  world.  The  harbor  is  large  and  pictur 
esque.  An  almost  perpendicular  ridge  extends 
nearly  around  the  bay.  The  city  extends  three 
or  four  miles  along  a  narrow  strip  of  land  which 
lies  between  the  sea  and  the  cliffs.  In  some  places 
there  is  only  width  enough  for  one  street.  At 
others,  for  three  or  four  running  parallel  to  each 
other,  but  these  extend  for  only  a  few  blocks. 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  233 

The  rocky  cliffs  have  been  terraced  as  the  town 
has  grown.  The  city  now  extends  back  upon  the 
hills  a  long  distance.  One  house  is  built  above 
the  other  and  is  reached  by  winding  roads  and 
steam  lifts,  which  carry  passengers  up  inclined 
planes.  What  roads  there  are  twist  about  in  the 
most  confusing  and  circuitous  fashion  .They  are 
so  steep  that  one  has  to  stop  and  pant  for  breath 
as  he  climbs  them. 

From  the  top  of  these  hills  a  magnificent  view 
can  be  had  of  the  city,  bay,  and  surrounding  coun 
try,  with  Aconcagua  and  other  high  peaks  of  the 
Andes  in  the  background. 

The  business  portion  of  the  city  is  along  the 
beach.  It  has  fine  shops  and  stores,  which  con 
tain  as  complete  an  assortment  of  goods  as  can  be 
found  in  any  city  of  the  world. 

The  parks  and  plazas  here  are  adorned  with 
beautiful  fountains  and  statuary  of  bronze  and 
marble,  much  of  which  was  stolen  from  the  public 
and  private  gardens  of  Peru  during  the  late  war. 
The  street  car  conductors  are  all  females.  They 
wear  a  neat  uniform  of  blue  flannel,  a  jaunty  Pan 
ama  hat,  and  a  white  pinafore  with  many  pockets 
in  which  to  carry  their  tickets  and  small  change. 
The  cars  are  double  deckers,  with  seats  upon  the 
roof  as  well  as  within.  The  conductor  occupies  a 
perch  upon  the  rear  platform,  taking  the  fare  as 
the  passenger  enters.  Street  car  riding  is  a  pop 
ular  amusement  with  the  young  men  about  towrn 


234  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

to  flirt   with  the  conductors,  who  are  sometimes 
quite  handsome. 

The  experiment  of  having  female  conductors 
was  first  tried  during  the  war  with  Peru,  when 
the  able-hodied  men  were  sent  to  the  army.  It 
proved  so  successful  that  their  employment  has 
become  permanent. 

From  Valparaiso  I  went  to  Santiago  by  a  rail 
road  which  is  run  on  the  English  plan.  The  cars 
are  similar  to  those  in  use  all  over  Europe.  The 
scenery  along  the  line  is  grand  and  picturesque, 
the  snowcaps  of  the  Andes  being  constantly  in 
view. 

Santiago  is  the  capital  of  Chile  and  is  a  beauti 
ful  city.  It  was  founded  by  Pedro  Valdivia  in 
1541.  It  is  situated  on  a  plain  at  the  foot  of  the 
Cordilleras  Mountains. 

The  Alameda,  the  principal  street  of  the  city,  is 
a  beautiful  place.  It  is  three  hundred  feet  wide 
and  has  four  rows  of  poplar  trees  and  two  streams 
of  pure  running  water  over  its  entire  distance.  It 
stretches  the  full  length  of  the  city,  three  miles, 
from  Santa  Lucia  to  the  Exposition  Park  and 
Horticultural  Gardens.  In  the  center  is  a  wide 
promenade,  while  on  either  side  is  a  driveway  one 
hundred  feet  wide. 

The  promenade  is  dotted  with  a  line  of  statues 
representing  famous  men  or  commemorating  fam 
ous  events  in  the  history  of  Chile.  There  is  an 
equestrian  statue  of  O'Higgins,  a  celebrated  leader 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  235 

at  the  time  of  the  war  for  independence.  He  is 
on  horseback  and  is  represented  as  having  just 
ridden  down  a  standard  bearer,  who  is  lying 
under  his  horse's  feet,  still  grasping  the  fallen 
banner.  The  reins  are  on  the  horse's  neck.  He 
is  rearing  madly.  O'Higgins'  arms  and  hands 
are  extended  in  the  air,  one  flashing  a  sword,  the 
other  pointing  before  him,  while  with  open  mouth 
he  is  calling  on  his  comrades  to  follow  him. 

The  Alameda  is  thronged  on  pleasant  after 
noons  with  handsome  carriages.  From  three  to 
five  o'clock  several  military  bands  are  placed  at 
intervals  of  nearly  half  a  mile,  and  the  music  calls 
out  large  crowds  of  people  to  drive  or  walk.  The 
equipages  to  be  seen  here  are  equal  to  those  in 
Central  Park  and  Rotten  Row. 

Fronting  The  Alameda  on  either  side  are  the 
finest  palaces  and  dwellings  in  the  city,  their 
beautiful  gardens  being  adorned  with  fountains. 
In  a  walk  through  this  street,  a  superb  view  of 
the  Andes  can  be  obtained.  These  mountains 
rise  near  the  city  to  the  most  majestic  height. 

The  Santa  Lucia  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
places  I  have  ever  seen.  It  is  a  hill  of  rocks  one 
thousand  feet  high,  rising  abruptly  from  the  very 
heart  of  the  city,  and  converted  by  art  into  one  of 
the  most  beautiful  of  promenades  and  parks. 

There  is  a  succession  of  winding  walks,  stair 
ways,  parapets,  and  balconies,  grottoes,  flower 
beds,  groves  of  trees,  and  vine-hanging  arbors, 


236  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS   OF 

from  the  base  to  the  summit.  At  the  west  side, 
near  the  edge  of  a  precipice  eight  hundred  feet  in 
height,  is  a  miniature  castle  and  a  lovely  little 
chapel.  Three  or  four  hundred  feet  below  the 
chapel,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  hill,  is  a  level 
place  on  which  a  restaurant  and  outdoor  theater 
have  been  erected. 

This  place  is  the  resort  of  the  aristocracy. 
They  come  here  on  summer  nights  to  eat  ices, 
drink  beer,  listen  to  the  plays  on  the  stage  and  to 
the  bands  of  music.  They  make  themselves 
merry,  just  as  their  age,  fancy,  or  idleness  impels 
them. 

From  the  summit  there  is  a  splendid  panoramic 
view  of  the  city,  the  fertile  valley  studded  with 
numerous  hamlets  and  the  great  snowy  range  of 
the  Andes.  No  other  point  about  here  gives  one 
such  a  lovely  view  of  the  city  and  its  numerous 
gardens. 

The  main  plaza  is  a  large  open  space  adorned 
with  trees,  flower  beds,  and  a  miniature  lake 
filled  with  thousands  of  goldfish  of  all  sizes.  In 
the  middle  of  this  lake  is  a  showy  fountain,  spurt 
ing  water  from  the  mouths  of  numerous  dragons. 
The  great  cathedral  forms  one  side  of  this  plaza, 
some  public  buildings  another,  while  modern 
houses  with  arcades  complete  the  square. 

The  botanical  and  zoological  garden  is  a  fine 
place,  with  a  good  collection  of  animals.  Every 
thing  is  well  managed  and  neatly  kept.  The 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  237 

National  Museum  is  situated  in  the  center  of  the 
garden.  The  Theater  Municipal  is  one  of  the  fin 
est  theaters  I  have  ever  seen.  The  interior  is 
fitted  up  with  very  good  taste,  and  all  the  latest 
improvements  are  everywhere  applied  to  warrant 
a  speedy  exit  in  case  of  an  accident. 

It  was  in  this  city,  on  the  8th  of  December,  1868, 
during  a  great  fire  in  a  church,  that  more  than 
two  thousand  women  of  the  first  families  in  Chile 
were  burned  to  death.  It  was  a  day  of  high  fes 
tival ;  the  church  was  crowded  to  excess  and 
lighted  by  innumerable  coal  oil  lamps  suspended 
from  the  ceiling.  One  of  these  broke  and  fell  upon 
the  light  drapery  of  a  woman's  dress.  The  flames 
spread  from  lamp  to  lamp,  and  sheets  of  fire  ex 
tended  over  the  multitude,  engulfing  them  in  one 
burning  mass.  A  handsome  statue  has  been 
erected  on  the  spot  on  which  the  church  stood, 
to  commemorate  the  catastrophe. 

They  have  a  very  curious  way  here  of  supply 
ing  customers  with  milk.  On  the  residence  streets 
there  are  platforms  erected  a  few  blocks  apart, 
upon  which  a  cow  is  tied  and  milked  to  order  by 
a  dairymaid,  whenever  a  customer  calls.  On  a 
table  near  by  are  measure  cans,  glasses,  and  some 
times  a  bottle  of  brandy,  so  a  man  can  mix  a 
glass  of  punch  if  he  wishes.  In  the  morning 
these  stands  are  surrounded  by  servants  from  the 
aristocratic  families.  Women  and  children  stand 
with  cups  and  buckets  waiting  their  turn.  As 


LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

fast   as  one  cow  is  exhausted,  another  is  driven 
upon  the  platform. 

The  shops  and  stores  here  are  filled  with  the 
prettiest  kinds  of  goods;  expensive  diamonds, jew 
elry,  and  laces,iri  fact,  everything  that  can  be  found 
in  Paris  or  in  London,  may  be  purchased  here. 
The  ladies  of  Santiago  are  famous  for  their  beauty 
and  fine  complexion.  They  dress  in  the  height 
of  the  Paris  fashions. 

At  Santiago,  Valparaiso,  and  other  points  I 
had  grand  views  of  the  gigantic  masses  of  Mt. 
Aconcagua  lifting  its  table-like  summit  twenty- 
two  thousand  six  hundred  feet  above  the  sea 
and  far  above  all  the  snowy  ranges  of  the  Andes. 
No  one  has  ever  reached  its  summit;  but  greater 
altitudes  have  been  reached  in  the  Himalayas  in 
India.  It  is  a  grand  sight,  standing  as  it  does 
alone  with  no  other  high  peak  near  it.  The 
clearness  of  the  atmosphere  in  this  region  gives 
one  an  opportunity  to  see  it  at  a  long  distance. 
Nevertheless,  it  is  only  while  sailing  on  the  Pa 
cific  that  one  sees  this  mountain  in  its  complete 
proportions,  for  the  Andes,  on  which  it  rests,  are 
heaved  to  such  a  vast  altitude  that  the  relative 
elevation  of  its  summit  becomes  reduced  by  com 
parison  with  the  surrounding  mountains.  The 
Andes  constitute  an  uninterrupted  mountain  chain 
from  the  Straits  of  Magellan  in  the  south  to  the 
Isthmus  of  Panama,  in  the  north.  This  chain 
is  close  to  the  Pacific  shore  and  is  four  thousand 
five  hundred  miles  in  length. 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  239 

Along  this  mountain  chain  are  broad,  frigid 
deserts  swept  by  fiercely  cold  winds  and  deep 
valleys,  gorges  and  ravines  in  which  flow  swelling 
rivers  or  rapid  torrents  fed  by  the  melting  snow 
in  the  dry  season  and  swollen  by  the  rain  during 
the  wet  season. 

A  railroad  is  being  constructed  across  these 
mountains,  which,  when  completed,  will  connect 
Chile  with  Argentine  Republic.  One  can  then 
make  the  trip  from  Valparaiso  to  Buenos  Ay  res 
in  a  Pullman  car  amid  some  of  the  grandest 
scenery  in  the  world. 

The  hotels  in  South  America  as  a  rule  are 
good.  Some  are  as  handsomely  furnished  and  as 
well  kept  as  any  in  San  Francisco  or  New  York. 
They  are  kept  generally  by  women  whose  hus 
bands  are  engaged  in  other  occupations,  but  the 
servants,  including  cooks  and  bed  makers,  are 
men.  AVherever  I  went  in  Chile  I  could  see  some 
of  the  ornaments  which  had  been  stolen  from 
Peru  during  the  war — ornamental  street  lamps, 
benches  of  carved  stone  in  parks,  pretty  iron 
fences,  images  from  the  cemeteries,  altar  equip 
ments,  etc.  Among  other  things  are  two  marble 
statues,  one  of  George  Washington,  the  other  of 
Abraham  Lincoln.  They  stand  in  the  court 
yard  of  the  post  office  in  Santiago.  They  were 
also  brought  from  Peru. 

Everywhere  I  went  in  Central  and  South  Amer 
ica,  I  noticed  large  numbers  of  churches  and 


240  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

monasteries,  with  a  great  number  of  priests  and 
devotees,  the  latter  mostly  of  the  fair  sex. 

Leaving  Santiago  I  returned  to  Valparaiso  and 
embarked  on  the  fine  Pacific  Steam  Navigation 
Co.'s  steamer  Pizarro  for  Callao.  For  the  last  six 
months  the  ports  north  of  Chile  had  been  closed 
to  all  vessels  from  any  Chilean  port,  but  they 
were  now  open  to  vessels  which  would  undergo 
a  quarantine  in  the  first  port  at  which  they 
would  call.  So  when  we  reached  Mollende,  our 
ship  was  condemned  to  pass  the  five  days  in 
quarantine  at  this  port.  We  were  made  very 
comfortable  on  board  during  the  time,  thanks  to 
the  officers  of  the  ship. 

In  the  passage  from  Chile  I  had  an  opportu 
nity  to  pay  short  visits  to  Iquique,  Pasaqua,  and 
Arica.  A  large  business  is  conducted  at  every 
one  of  these  places,  in  the  manufacture  of  salt 
petre  from  the  nitrate  of  soda  that  is  found  in 
great  quantities  in  the  interior. 

The  ports  belonged  to  Peru  before  the  war  with 
Chile,  at  which  time  they  were  taken  and  still  re 
main  the  property  of  the  Chilean  Government.  It 
was  at  Arica,  in  1868,  that  the  steamship  Wateree 
was  carried  about  a  mile  inland  by  a  tidal  wave 
that  followed  the  earthquake  which  was  so  disas 
trous  to  life  and  property  at  Araquipa  and  other 
places  in  the  vicinity.  Nothing  remains  now  of 
the  noble  ship  but  the  boilers,  which  still  mark 
the  spot  where  she  was  stranded.  The  Wateree 
.belonged  to  the  United  States  Navy. 


JAMES   BATCHELDER.  241 

When  relieved  from  quarantine,  we  proceeded 
on  our  way  to  Callao.  After  waiting  ten  days  I 
took  passage  on  the  stain  ship  Puno  for  Panama. 
As  I  came  on  board,  I  noticed  a  young  man  whom 
I  took  to  be  an  American.  I  could  plainly  see,  by 
his  pale  face,  sunken  eyes,  and  emaciated  form, 
that  his  life  was  fast  drawing  to  a  close.  I  learned 
very  little  of  his  previous  history,  but  he  said  he 
had  left  a  happy  home  three  years  before,  in  good 
health  and  with  prospects  for  the  future.  He  had 
contracted  in  Peru  that  dread  disease,  consump 
tion.  The  only  hope  left  him  was  that  he  might 
be  spared  long  enough  to  reach  his  native  land, 
where  he  might  die  peacefully,  surrounded  by 
friends  and  relatives.  He  had  a  mother  and  two 
sisters  anxiously  awaiting  him.  But,  alas,  that 
foul  destroyer  had  taken  too  strong  a  hold  on  him, 
and  he  died  before  reaching  Panama !  He  was 
consigned  to  the  deep,  there  to  remain  until  the 
sea  shall  give  up  its  dead.  A  death  and  burial 
on  land  is  sad,  but  it  is  more  affecting  at  sea,  for 
it  is  usually  among  strangers,  with  no  friends  or 
relatives  to  soothe  and  comfort  one  in  the  last  hour, 
or  to  shed  a  tear  at  the  grave. 

From  Panama  I  traveled  on  the  Pacific  Mail 
Steamship  Company's  steamer  Acapulco  for  San 
Francisco,  where  I  arrived  after  an  absence  of 
nearly  six  months.  During  that  time  I  had 
traversed  twelve  thousand  miles  by  water.  The 
weather  was  delightful  during  the  entire  journey. 
16 


242 


LIFE    AND   TRAVELS. 


We  had  no  storms  at  sea,  and  the  various  ships 
were  as  steady  as  anything  on  the  water  can  be. 
Even  the  most  forlorn  of  the  passengers  had  little 
excuse  for  seasickness. 

The  trip,  on  the  whole,  was  an  enjoyable  one. 
There  were  some  few  detentions  that  could  not  be 
avoided.  They  were  annoying,  but  there  is  always 
some  bitter  to  be  tasted  with  every  sweet.  The 
bee,  which  finds  a  thorn  on  every  rose,  comes  home 
laden  with  honey. 

My  arrival  home  has  been  welcomed  by  many 
a  friend,  for  there  are  few  who  have  not  a  friend 
to  take  an  interest  in  their  return.  The  whole 
trip  was  accomplished  without  an  accident  and 
devoid  of  the  slightest  illness.  Once  more  I  thank 
kind  Providence,who  watched  over  me  and  guided 
me  through  all  the  dangers  of  so  long  a  journey. 

And  now  the  excursion  is  finished.  I  warmly 
thank  those  whom  I  chanced  to  meet  as  I  jour 
neyed  from  place  to  place,  for  they  showed  me 
every  kindness  and  attended  to  all  my  wants.  I 
now  bid  them  all  adieu. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

A  SECOND  TRIP  AROUND    THE  WORLD. 

* 

FTER  my  return  from  South  America  I 


7 

determined  that  at  some  future  time  I 
would  take  another  trip  around  the 
world,  over  a  different  route  from  the  one  I  had 
traveled  before,  and  visit  some  parts  of  the  world 
that  I  had  not  yet  seen.  So,  after  making  all 
necessary  arrangements  for  the  voyage,  I  started 
on  this  most  interesting  trip,  and  I  will  endeavor 
to  give  a  feeble  description  of  the  route  and  some 
of  the  sights  on  the  way. 

I  left  San  Francisco  in  the  latter  part  of  Janu 
ary,  1890,  on  the  steamship  Australia,  for  Hono 
lulu,  Hawaiian  Islands.  The  scenes  and  inci 
dents  connected  with  the  departure  of  all  ocean 
steamers  are  substantially  the  same,  and,  having 
described  them  in  previous  chapters,  I  will  spare 
the  reader,  and  say  only  that  a  large  crowd 
had  collected  at  the  wharf  to  bid  their  friends 
good-bye  and  Godspeed  on  their  journey.  Amid 

(243) 


244  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

kisses,  hand  shaking,  regrets,  tears,  and  waving  of 
handkerchiefs,  the  bell  rang,  the  gates  were  closed, 
and  the  great  ship  started  on  her  long  journey. 

We  soon  passed  Fort  Alcatraz,  and  glided  out 
through  the  Golden  Gate  into  the  broad  Pacific. 
I  stood  on  the  deck  watching  the  hills  along  the 
coast,  and  saw  them  change  from  green  to  blue 
and  from  blue  to  purple,  behind  us,  until  at 
length  they  sank  in  the  distance. 

I  then  turned  my  attention  to  my  fellow-passen 
gers,  to  see  whom  fate  had  thrown  together,  for  it 
is  often  the  case  that  a  journey  which  would  other 
wise  be  long  and  tedious  is  rendered  delightful 
by  good  company.  We  soon  became  acquainted 
with  one  another,  even  formed  friendships,  made 
a  little  society  of  our  own,  and  parted  reluctantly 
at  the  end  of  the  voyage. 

I  have  always  found  persons  on  an  ocean  voy 
age  who  like  to  have  someone  to  talk  with  and  to 
communicate  their  adventures  or  prospects.  One 
often  meets  with  queer  characters  on  such  voy 
ages,  but  it  is  an  easy  matter  to  reject  such  as  do 
not'  harmonize  with  us  as  soon  as  that  fact  is 
fairly  ascertained. 

The  passage  to  Honolulu  was  uneventful.  We 
had  fine  weather,  and  the  time  was  spent  in  the 
amusements  that  are  usually  indulged  in  on  such 
voyages.  It  was  rendered  particularly  interesting 
by  two  natives  of  the  islands,  who  entertained  the 
passengers  each  evening  in  the  social  hall  with 


JAMES  BATCHELDER.  245 

native  songs,  rendered  by  a  beautiful  male  and 
female  voice,  to  the  accompaniment  of  a  guitar. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  seventh  day  out 
we  saw  land.  It  was  the  island  of  Maui,  fifty 
miles  south  of  us.  Soon  after  we  saw  the  island 
of  Molekai,  then  the  island  of  Oahu,  on  which  the 
city  of  Honolulu  is  situated.  As  we  approached 
this  island,  we  found  the  coast  to  be  wild  and  rug 
ged,  with  coral  and  volcanic  hills.  Between  these 
hills  green  valleys  covered  with  groves  of  cocoa- 
nut  palms  came  down  to  the  ocean.  As  we  drew 
nearer  to  the  harbor,  we  could  see  a  broad  plain 
backed  by  mountains  and  covered  with  trees, 
above  whose  green  foliage  arose  the  spires  of  the 
city  of  Honolulu. 

These  islands  were  discovered  by  Captain  Cook 
in  1778.  He  was  murdered  by  the  natives  in  the 
same  year.  There  are  eleven  islands  in  all,  eight  of 
which  are  inhabited.  The  population  of  the  group 
at  the  present  time  is  about  eighty  thousand,  one- 
half  of  whom  are  natives.  The  remainder  are 
foreigners.  At  the  time  of  their  discovery  the 
population  was  about  three  hundred  thousand. 
The  natives  were  formerly  barbarians,  but  mis 
sionaries  reached  there  from  Boston  in  1820,  and 
since  then  civilization  has  spread  gradually  all 
over  the  group. 

The  government  is  a  limited  monarchy.  There 
is  a  king,  a  house  of  lords,  and  a  house  of  repre 
sentatives.  The  members  of  both  houses  are 
elected  by  the  people. 


246  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OP 

Honolulu  is  the  capital  of  the  kingdom.  It  is 
situated  on  the  island  of  Oalm,  and  has  a  popula 
tion  of  about  twenty-five  thousand,  including 
whites,  natives,  and  Chinese.  The  city  is  very 
pretty.  It  has  many  fine  business  blocks,  several 
beautiful  public  parks,  and  along  most  of  the 
streets  are  low-built  cottages  standing  well  back, 
with  broad,  inviting  verandas,  nearly  hidden  by 
tropical  and  semi-tropical  plants,  trees,  and  flow 
ers.  This  city  is  full  of  choice  ornamental  shade 
trees,  among  which  are  the  cocoanut  palm, bread 
fruit,  and  candle  nut.  The  Royal  Band  gives  con 
certs  at  the  Hawaiian  Hotel  two  or  three  evenings 
of  the  week,  and  discourses  excellent  music.  The 
drives  about  the  city  are  beautiful  and  well  kept. 
There  are  many  things  to  be  seen  in  and  about 
the  city  that  are  interesting  and  amusing.  Weeks 
could  be  spent  here  and  every  day  one  would  be 
able  to  see  something  new  and  strange. 

From  here  I  took  a  trip  to  the  volcano  of  Kil- 
auea,  the  largest  active  volcano  in  the  world.  It 
is  situated  on  the  island  of  Hawaii,  the  largest  of 
the  group.  This  island  is  ninety  miles  long  and 
seventy-four  miles  wide.  It  contains  four  thou 
sand  two  hundred  and  ten  square  miles.  The 
volcano  has  a  crater  on  the  eastern  side  of  Maun  a 
Loa,  four  thousand  and  forty  feet,  above  the  level 
of  the  sea, 

I  left  Honolulu  by  the  steamship  Kinau  for 
Hilo,  a  distance  of  nearly  two  hundred  and  fifty 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  247 

miles.  The  greater  portion  of  this  trip  is  occupied 
in  crossing  the  channels  between  the  different 
islands.  These  channels  are  remarkable  for  their 
roughness  and  heavy  ocean  swells.  The  rough 
ness  of  the  English  Channel,  or  Lake  Titicaca,  is 
nothing  when  compared  with  these  channels. 
They  are  a  dread  to  even  old  seafaring  voyagers. 

The  scenery  of  Hawaii  is  grand  and  picturesque. 
Numberless  waterfalls  pour  over  the  high  bluffs, 
and  on  the  uplands  are  great  fields  of  sugar  cane. 
Beyond  these  can  be  seen  the  three  great  peaks  of 
the  island.  Mauna  Kea  is  on  the  left.  It  rises  thir 
teen  thousand  eight  hundred  and  five  feet  above 
the  sea  and  is  capped  with  snow.  On  the  right  is 
the  lesser  mountain,  called  Haulalai,  eight  thou 
sand  two  hundred  and  seventy-five  feet  in  height, 
while  in  the  middle  the  superb  rounded  dome  of 
Mauna  Loa  rises  thirteen  thousand  six  hundred 
and  seventy-five  feet  above  the  sea  level. 

On  the  morning  of  the  second  day  out  we  ar 
rived  at  Hilo.  This  is  a  small,  quiet  town  and 
conveys  a  perfect  idea  of  tropical  life.  The  town 
has  a  great  variety  of  fruit-bearing  trees,  among 
which  the  alligator  pear  is  prominent. 

It  rains  almost  every  day  in  Hilo,  and  I  was 
told  that  one  hundred  and  thirty  inches  have 
fallen  during  a  single  year.  This  accounts  for  the 
many  brooks  and  rivulets  that  pervade  the  gar 
dens  and  course  along  the  roadsides.  The  dis 
tance  is  thirty  miles  from  Hilo  to  the  volcano, 


248  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS   OF 

twelve  of  which  are  made  by  carriage  and  the  re 
mainder  on  horseback  over  a  rough  trail. 

The  whole  route  is  full  of  the  evidences  of  fierce 
volcanic  action.  Soon  after  leaving  the  town  we 
entered  the  Hilo  woods.  For  several  miles  the 
scenery  is  unsurpassed  by  any  tropical  woodland 
view  I  have  ever  seen.  The  road  is  a  good  one, 
and  the  forest  includes  an  infinite  variety  of  trees, 
shrubs,  vines,  and  ferns.  The  ferns  especially 
grow  in  the  greatest  profusion.  Beyond  the  forest 
land  are  groves  of  cocoanut  palms,  which  will 
flourish  where  no  other  tree  will  grow. 

About  seven  miles  from  the  Volcano  House  we 
entered  a  second  strip  of  woods,  and  when  we 
emerged  from  this  we  were  close  to  the  hotel  on 
the  edge  of  the  crater.  This  will  be  a  very  easy 
and  interesting  trip  after  the  completion  of  the 
carriage  road  which  is  being  built  by  the  govern 
ment.  It  will  run  through  the  most  beautiful 
woodland  views  imaginable,  where  at  every  turn 
in  ascending  or  descending  there  is  something 
new  and  beautiful  to  be  seen.  It  would  be  almost 
a  hopeless  task  to  try  to  describe  the  richness  and 
variety  of  plant  life  along  the  route. 

Standing  on  the  bank  of  the  crater  of  Kilauea, 
a  few  rods  from  the  Volcano  House,  we  looked 
down  five  or  six  hundred  feet  upon  the  floor  of 
the  pit.  It  looks  smooth  from  this  height,  but 
ivhen  the  descent  to  it  is  made,  it  is  found  to  be 
tossed  and  torn  into  massive  mounds  and  waves 


JAMES  BATCHELDER.  249 

of  all  shapes  and  sizes,  resembling  the  waves  of  a 
stormy  sea.  This  pit  or  caldron  is  nine  miles  in 
circumference  and  three  miles  long  by  two  miles 
wide.  The  entire  length  of  this  must  be  traversed 
on  foot  in  order  to  reach  the  lake  of  fire. 

I  started   from  the  hotel  under  the  care  of  a 
guide  at  three  p.  M.  and  reached  the  lake  of  fire 
just   at   dusk.     This  is  without  doubt  the   most 
wonderful  and  the  most  beautiful  exhibition  of 
its  kind  in  the  world,  and  must   be  seen  to   be 
fully  appreciated.     The  lake  of  melted  lava  varies 
in  size  at  different  times  and  is  continually  chang 
ing.     At  the  time  of  my  visit  it  was  about  four 
hundred  feet  long  by  two  hundred  feet  wide.     It 
was  coated  with  a  black  crust,  excepting  the  five 
active  fountains  in    different   parts  of  the   lake. 
They  were  tossing  lava  twenty-five  or  thirty  feet 
into  the  air.     The  lava  twisted  into  serpent-like 
shapes,  brilliantly  illuminating  the  thick  vapors 
that  form  in  the  sulphur  pits  and  the  clouds  above. 
This  is  a  magnificent  spectacle  at  night,  and  one 
would  never  tire  of  watching  it.     Soon  the  black 
crust   began    to    crack,  forming   a  glowing   net 
work   upon    it.     These   seams   rapidly    widened, 
great  cakes  of  lava   broke   off,  turned   up   their 
edges,  shot  out  in  all  directions,  and  dived  into 
the   fiery   gulf  below.     Fountains  of  fire  would 
shoot    everywhere,   then   with   a   sharp   spitting 
sound  the  entire  crust  went  down,  and  the  lake 
became  in  an  instant  one  vast  expanse  of  boiling, 


250 


LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 


spouting  billows  of  flame.  A  fe\v  minutes  more 
and  the  lake  had  cooled ;  a  hard  crust  had  formed 
over  it ;  the  spirting  fountains  had  changed  their 
position.  In  a  short  time  the  movement  began 
again.  The  lake  burst  open  as  before,  and  the 
mass  that  had  been  black  but  a  few  minutes  previ- 
ious  became  a  second  time  a  seething  red  sheet  of 
fire.  This  volcano  is  constantly  changing.  It 
increases  and  diminishes,  but  in  only  a  few  in 
stances  has  it  been  known  to  wholly  die  out,  and 
then  only  for  a  few  weeks  at  a  time. 

This  is  only  a  feeble  description  of  what  is  to 
be  seen  at  Kilauea.  I  have  tried  to  give  only 
some  of  its  most  important  features,  the  memory 
of  which  will  linger  with  me  as  long  as  I  live.  I 
sat  there  and  watched  it  until  I  was  satisfied.  I 
then  returned  to  the  Volcano  House  under  the 
•care  of  my  guide,  stumbling  over  blocks  of  lava 
and  through  vast  fields  of  sulphur  holes,  from 
which  poured  jets  of  hot,  blinding  steam  so  heav 
ily  laden  with  sulphur  as  to  make  it  difficult  to 
breathe.  We  reached  our  hotel  in  safety  at  ten 
o'clock  in  the  evening.  AVe  found  a  nice  warm 
supper  awaiting  us,  which  we  enjoyed.  After  a 
cozy  chat  by  a  cheerful  log  fire,  I  had  a  few 
hours  of  deep,  sweet  sleep. 

This  trip  from  Honolulu  was  the  roughest  by 
sea  and  the  hardest  by  land  that  I  have  ever 
made,  but  the  scene  I  witnessed  more  than  repaid 
me  for  the  hardship  I  had  to  endure,  and  I  would 
not  have  missed  it  for  the  world. 


JAMES   BATCHELDER.  251 

Along  the  edge  of  the  volcano  are  numerous 
large  tree  ferns,  often  reaching  to  the  height  of 
twenty  feet,  with  leaves  eight  or  ten  inches  long 
and  stems  three  or  four  inches  in  diameter. 
They  are  very  beautifully  colored,  revealing  all 
the  shades  of  green.  They  are  the  marvel  and 
delight  of  every  lover  of  nature.  There  are  also 
red  berries  here,  called  by  the  natives  ohelo. 
They  resemble  large  red  currants,  and  are  some 
what  agreeable  to  the  taste.  These  berries  were 
considered  sacred  to  the  fire  goddess  Pele  by 
the  natives  until  the  beginning  of  the  present 
century.  No  one  dared  to  eat  of  them  before  he 
had  thrown  some  into  the  fiery  pit  of  the  volcano. 

In  the  year  1825  a  famous  chiefess  who  had  been 
converted  from  paganism  to  the  Christian  religion 
by  the  missionaries,  is  said  to  have  defied  the  power 
of  the  fire  goddess  Pele.  She  visited  the  volcano, 
reproved  the  idolatrous  worshipers,  and  neglected 
every  rite  which  they  had  been  taught  to  consider 
necessary  for  their  welfare.  In  vain  the  priests 
threatened  her  with  the  vengeance  of  the  offended 
deity.  She  replied  that  she  feared  them  not;  that 
the  fire  of  the  volcano  was  the  work  of  the  God 
she  worshiped,  and  that  she  would  abide  the  con 
sequences  of  daring  Pele  in  the  recesses  of  her 
domain.  After  eating  several  of  the  berries,  she 
went  to  the  brink  of  the  abyss,  descended  several 
hundred  feet  towards  the  liquid  lava,  and  cast 
some  of  the  berries  into  the  flames — an  act  most 


252  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

sacrilegious,  according  to  their  ideas.  Then  she 
praised  God  amidst  one  of  the  most  sublime  of 
his  works. 

From  there  I  returned  to  Honolulu  by  the 
same  route  and  embarked  on  the  steamship  Mari- 
posa  for  Auckland,  New  Zealand.  On  the  way 
we  stayed  a  short  time  at  the  island  of  Tutuila, 
one  of  the  Samoan  group.  Here  we  were  met  by  a 
small  boat.  Mail  for  the  other  islands  was  taken 
on  board  arid  landed.  Any  letters  that  were 
written  on  our  ship  were  taken  ashore  and  mailed 
for  their  destination  in  any  part  of  the  world. 
These  are  the  islands  that  suffered  such  destruc 
tion  of  life  and  property  by  the  great  hurricane 
about  a  year  ago,  when  several  ships  of  the  Ger 
man  and  American  navy  were  wrecked. 

On  Wednesday,  February  26,  within  two  days' 
sail  from  Auckland,  we  crossed  the  one  hundred 
and  eightieth  meridian  of  longitude  from  Green 
wich.  The  next  morning  we  awoke  to  find  it 
Friday,  the  28th.  The  explanation  of  this  is  sim 
ple.  Traveling  toward  the  west  we  were  going 
with  the  sun  and  constantly  gaining  upon  it.  If 
we  should  go  completely  around  the  world,  we 
would  gain  an  entire  day  on  the  circuit.  Going 
eastward,  it  is  reversed  and  we  lose  time.  There 
fore,  it  is  necessary,  in  order  to  rectify  this  loss  or 
gain  of  time,  to  strike  a  day  out  of  the  week  when 
going  westward  and  to  add  one  when  going  east 
ward. 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  253 

The  point  selected  for  this  is  just  half  way 
around  the  world  from  the  observatory  at  Green 
wich.  The  difference  in  time  between  this  par 
allel  and  Greenwich  being  twelve  hours,  a  vessel 
sailing  westward  is  twelve  hours  earlier  than  the 
time  at  Greenwich,  and  one  sailing  eastward  is 
twelve  hours  later. 

Should  these  vessels  continue  on  to  Greenwich, 
they  would,  of  course,  be  twenty-four  hours  behind 
and  twenty-four  hours  ahead  respectively.  To 
rectify  this  the  West-bound  ship  drops  a  day  out 
of  its  reckoning,  and  the  other  ship  adds  one.  At 
Greenwich  they  both  show  the  same  time.  As  we 
were  going  westward,  we  had  no  Thursday  in  our 
week,  but  had  we  been  sailing  eastward,  we  would 
have  had  two. 

Auckland  is  approached  by  a  long,  winding, 
beautiful  harbor,  protected  on  all  sides  by  high 
bluffs.  The  city  is  rather  pretty,  and  has  a  popu 
lation  of  fifty  thousand.  It  lies  on  the  slopes  of 
two  hills,  one  being  on  each  side  of  Queen  Street. 
It  is  a  sleepy  place  and  purely  English. 

We  arrived  here  at  six  o'clock  in  the  morning. 
On  reaching  the  shore  I  tried  to  find  a  cab  or  a 
carriage  to  take  me  to  the  places  I  wished  to  visit. 
I  was  told  that  no  carriages  would  be  on  the  street 
until  nine  o'clock.  I  then  went  to  a  livery  stable, 
engaged  a  horse  and  buggy,  and  rode  all  over  the 
place,  including  the  summit  of  Mt.  Eden. 

This  is  a  beautiful  round  mound  in  the  form  of 


254  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS  OF 

a  sugar  loaf,  about  one  thousand  feet  high,  lying 
near  the  city,  from  whose  summit  superb  views 
are  obtained  of  the  sea,  city,  and  surrounding 
country.  Looking  southward,  the  view  extends 
over  a  large  extent  of  country,  rising  from  which 
are  numerous  volcanic  peaks,  whose  fires  have 
long  since  died  out,  but  the  evidences  of  their 
mighty  works  are  strewn  all  over  the  country. 

Turning  to  the  north,  the  city  lies  spread  out 
at  our  feet,  with  its  parks  and  gardens,  which  are 
very  fine  and  extensive.  Farther  on  is  the  beau 
tiful  bay,  with  its  many  outlying  islands,  crowned 
with  mountains,  whose  summits  rise  high.  Be 
yond  these,  extending  as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach, 
is  the  great  Pacific. 

About  noon  I  returned  to  the  vessel,  and  we 
started  for  Sydney.  It  is  a  distance  of  twelve 
hundred  miles,  which  is  four  days'  travel  The 
first  twelve  hours  we  ran  near  the  land,  along  the 
coast  of  Northern  New  Zealand,  which  is  high 
and  picturesque.  We  then  rounded  North  Cape, 
and  left  for  behind  the  Three  Kings,  a  group'  of 
islands  a  few  miles  north  of  the  cape,  and  the  last 
land  we  were  destined  to  see  until  the  shores  of 
Australia  should  greet  our  sight.  This  route  is 
said  to  be  the  roughest  part  of  the  Pacific  Ocean. 
Our  trip,  however,  seemed  to  have  been  an  ex 
ception,  for  the  ocean  was  as  calm  and  peaceful 
as  one  could  wish,  and  well  deserved  the  name 
Pacific. 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  255 

In  fact,  the  entire  trip  from  San  Francisco 
to  Sydney  was  made  during  beautiful  weather. 
Most  of  the  way  the  sea  was  as  smooth  as  the  Bay 
of  San  Francisco  on  a  calm  day.  As  a  rule,  the 
Pacific  is  not  so  rough  as  the  Atlantic,  nor  is  the 
weather  as  hot  here  as  in  the  same  latitude  of  the 
eastern  hemisphere.  There  was  no  day  during 
the  voyage  that  we  did  not  have  a  cool  breeze, 
which  made  it  delightful  to  lie  back  in  a  steamer 
chair,  and  gaze  at  the  almost  boundless  ocean, 
while  the  ship  plowed  along. 

On  coming  to  Sydney  we  passed  through  at 
the  Heads,  a  small  opening  in  a  long  line  of  al 
most  unbroken  red  cliffs,  into  a  landlocked  har 
bor  called  Port  Jackson.  From  that  point  can 
be  seen  the  Queen  City  of  the  southern  hemis 
phere,  Sydney,  with  its  great  buildings,  towers, 
domes,  spires,  monuments,  loft}7  chimneys,  and 
forest  of  ships. 

It  was  at  these  Heads  in  1856  that  the  captain 
of  a  British  ship  returning  from  England  with  a 
large  load  of  passengers,  undertook  to  make  the 
harbor  without  the  aid  of  a  pilot.  It  being  a  very 
dark  night  and  the  wind  blowing  a  gale,  he  mis 
took  the  entrance,  and  in  a  few  minutes  all  were 
lost  excepting  one  man.  He  was  found  the  next 
day  clinging  to  some  rocks  under  the  cliffs,  was 
rescued,  and  told  the  fate  of  the  ship. 

The  harbor  of  Sydney  is  one  of  the  finest  in  the 
world.  It  is  sheltered  by  bold  and  lofty  bluffs. 


256  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

The  city  was  founded  in  1788.  Its  natural  situa 
tion  is  very  beautiful.  It  stands  on  a  ridge  of 
sandstone  rock  which  runs  down  to  the  bay  in 
numerous  ridges,  between  which  lie  the  natural 
harbors  of  the  place.  It  is  a  pretty  city,  and  is 
the  capital  of  New  South  Wales,  one  of  the  five 
colonies  of  which  Australia  is  composed. 

Each  colony  has  its  own  governor,  parliament, 
postal  and  railway  system.  New  South  Wales  is 
a  free-trade  colony.  So  one  arriving  at  Sydney 
suffers  no  examination  of  baggage,  but  if  he  takes 
the  train  for  Melbourne,  his  luggage  must  be  ex 
amined  at  the  frontier  of  the  next  colony. 

Many  of  the  buildings  in  Sydney  are  made  of 
freestone,  which  looks  light  and  cheerful,  but  the 
streets  are  narrow  and  crooked.  The  city  has 
many  fine  statues,  prominent  among  which  are 
those  of  the  queen  of  England,  the  prince  con 
sort,  and  Captain  Cook. 

The  National  Art  Gallery,  which  stands  in  the 
midst  of  a  great  park,  called  the  Domain,  has  a 
large  collection  of  paintings.  It  is  always  open 
to  the  public.  There  are  pretty  parks  and  public 
gardens,  including  the  Zoological  and  Botanical 
Gardens,  each  with  a  good  collection,  making  de 
lightful  resorts.  All  these  parks  and  gardens,  to 
gether  with  the  National  Museum,  are  open  to  the 
public  at  all  times  free  of  charge. 

While  I  was  in  Australia,  I  took  a  trip  to  Bot 
any  Bay.  This  place  was  discovered  by  Captain 


UNIVERSITY 


JAMES   BATCHELDER.  257 

Cook,  and  was  the  first  place  on  which  white  men 
landed  in  Australia.  It  is  only  a  few  miles  from 
Sydney,  and  forms  a  pleasure  resort  for  the  people 
of  that  city.  It  is  reached  by  rail.  The  cars  are 
double  deckers.  I  sat  on  the  roof,  with  many 
others,  and  had  a  splendid  chance  to  see  the  coun- 
try. 

During  my  stay  in  Sydney  I  took  a  trip  to  the 
celebrated  Jenolan  Caves,  formerly  called  the 
Fish  River  Caves.  They  are  situated  in  the 
range  of  the  Blue  Mountains.  The  route  is  by 
rail  to  Mt.  Victoria  Station,  seventy-five  miles, 
thence  by  stage  thirty-six  miles.  Starting  from 
Sydney  we  passed  through  the  richest  farming 
country  in  New  South  Wales,  called  the  Emu 
Plains.  We  then  came  to  the  foot  of  the  Blue 
Mountains,  which  rise  abruptly  from  the  plain. 
Here  we  encountered  the  "  Zigzag,"  which  is  one 
of  the  greatest  feats  of  railroad  engineering  in 
Australia. 

The  view,  looking  back  over  the  vast  extent  of 
settled  country,  as  one  climbs  the  ascent,  is  grand. 
On  the  summit  the  country  seems  to  be  a  level 
pleateau,  well  wooded,  with  pleasant  streams  here 
arid  there.  Suddenly  one  comes  upon  the  edge 
of  an  abyss,  a  deep,  narrow  gorge,  fifteen  hundred 
feet  in  depth,  with  a  stream  of  water  at  the  bot 
tom,  while  from  and  near  its  side  rise  huge 
pillars  of  rock  from  six  hundred  to  three  thousand 
feet  in  height. 
17 


258  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

I  visited  three  of  these  narrow  canons  with 
huge  waterfalls,  called  Wentworth  Falls,  Ka- 
toomba  Falls,  and  Gobett's  Leap. 

Wentworth  Valley,  below  the  falls,  is  a  narrow 
gorge,  into  whose  gloomy  depths  a  beautiful 
stream  vanishes  in  a  series  of  magnificently  grace 
ful  cataracts.  At  the  head  of  this  valley  is  a  rocky, 
perpendicular  wall  of  about  one  thousand  feet  in 
height.  From  the  base  of  this  wall  the  lower 
cliffs  fall  away  in  terraces,  until  the  sides  nearly 
meet. 

These  valleys,  gullies,  and  waterfalls  reminded 
me  very  much  of  the  Grand  Canon  in  the  Yellow 
stone  National  Park.  All  along  the  sides  of  these 
mountains,  at  the  altitude  of  between  three  and 
four  thousand  feet,  are  some  of  the  favorite  sum 
mer  resorts  of  the  Sydney  people. 

Leaving  Mt.  Victoria  Station  by  stage,  we 
climbed  higher  and  higher  amid  beautiful  scen 
ery,  until  we  reached  the  height  of  four  thousand 
three  hundred  and  sixty-five  feet.  Then  we  de 
scended  the  mountain  side  by  sharp  zigzags  for 
some  two  thousand  feet,  until  the  mouth  of  the 
caves  was  reached.  Here  we  were  conducted  to 
the  Cave  House,  a  rough  but  very  comfortable 
building.  It  is  located  in  a  ravine,  with  steep 
hills  rising  on  both  sides.  Facing  the  house  is  a 
grand  arch,  five  hundred  feet  long,  sixty  feet  high, 
and  fifty  feet  wide,  through  which  a  lovely  stream 
courses  its  way  at  a  rapid  rate. 


JAMES   BATCHELDER.  259 

These  caves  were  discovered  in  1841  by  a  band 
of  mounted  police  who  traced  a  number  of  fleeing 
convicts  to  their  shelter.  The  extent  of  the  caves 
was  not  known  until  1856.  Mr.  Willson,  the  pres 
ent  proprietor  of  the  Cave  House,  while  hunting 
wild  cattle,  came  across  them,  and  commenced 
their  exploration.  The  government  then  took 
possession  of  them  and  reserved  them  as  public 
property,  paying  Mr.  Willson  one  hundred  and 
fifty  pounds  per  year  during  his  life.  The  area 
thus  set  apart  is  about  six  square  miles. 

The  caves  are  of  enormous  extent.  The  entire 
region  is  a  mass  of  limestone  and  shells,  which 
shows  an  upheaval  from  the  sea.  Deep  gorges 
and  valleys  have  been  carved  out  of  this  by  rain 
and  running  water,  which  have  worn  away  the 
rock  and  hollowed  out  the  caves.  The  mountain 
for  an  unknown  distance  is  honeycombed  with 
these  in  series  at  different  levels.  Some  of  them 
are  hundreds  of  feet  above  the  others.  These 
caves  form  the  most  beautiful  spectacle  I  have 
ever  seen.  Their  beauty  and  grandeur  surpass 
all  description. 

Passages  open  above  or  below  into  great  halls, 
or  abysses,  hundreds  of  feet  in  height.  There  is 
great  wealth  of  beauty  and  variety  of  form  and 
color  of  the  alabaster-like  material.  Brilliant 
crystals  hanging  from  the  roof  and  encrusting 
the  walls  vary  in  size  from  gigantic  columns  to 
the  most  delicate  fretwork.  All  of  these  places 


260  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

have  been  given  names,  such  as  Bridal  Veil, 
Grecian  Bend,  Confectionery  Shop,  Lot's  Wife, 
etc.  One  is  very  appropriately  called  Crystal 
City,  for  the  crystallizations  have  arranged  them 
selves  over  a  level  floor  in  miniature  likeness  to 
a  collection  of  buildings,  streets,  towers,  and  ram 
parts.  Another  well-named  spot,  and  the  most 
striking  of  all,  is  the  battle  field.  It  is  really  a 
crystallized  vision  of  a  battle.  I  could  see  the 
confused  mass  of  men  at  arms,  horses  and  ban 
ners  struggling  slowly  down  over  the  edge.  There 
they  stand  as  if  afraid  to  proceed. 

Still  another  of  exquisite  beauty  has  been 
properly  called  The  Mystery.  It  is  a  great  mass 
of  crystallization,  several  feet  in  extent — a  tangled 
maze  of  branches  and  lace-like  filaments,  spark 
ling  in  every  direction  with  gems,  not  only  beauti 
ful  in  form  but  of  the  loveliest  colors  mingled 
with  the  purest  white. 

The  variety  of  coloring  is  remarkable.  Some 
times  you  will  see  a  single  brown  or  red  pillar 
among  a  forest  of  white  ones.  There  are  so  many 
of  these  beautiful  objects  that  I  will  not  attempt 
to  describe  them  all,  so  will  speak  of  only  two 
more. 

In  one  of  these  chambers  a  number  of  stalac 
tites  give  out  beautiful  soft  tones  when  struck. 
A  tune  can  be  played  upon  them.  This  place  is 
called  Music  Hall.  In  the  lower  caves  are  streams 
whose  sources  are  still  unknown,  and  pools  of  clear 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  261 

water  whose  depths  are  very  deceptive.  The  re 
flection  of  the  stalactites  in  this  pool  is  charming. 
The  most  attractive  caves  are  the  two  Imperials 
and  the  Lucus.  The  former  two  are  lit  by  means 
of  electricity. 

Before  leaving  the  hotel  each  visitor  is  pro 
vided  with  candles.  The  guide  carries  a  magne 
sium  lamp  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  candle  power, 
which  throws  its  light  all  over  each  hall  and 
chamber,  showing  the  stalactites  splendidly. 
Three  hours  are  spent  in  every  one  of  the  three 
above-named  caves.  A  great  deal  has  been  done 
by  the  authorities  to  make  these  wonders  accessi 
ble  to  the  public,  They  have  cut  staircases,  railed 
off  the  most  dangerous  places,  erected  long  wire 
ladders,  and  have  fenced  in  many  of  the  more  del 
icate  objects.  No  one  is  allowed  to  enter  a  cave 
without  a  guide  who  is  provided  by  the  govern 
ment.  There  is  no  charge  for  services  or  for  ad 
mission,  but  a  small  fee  is  collected  from  every 
visitor  to  pay  for  the  candles  and  for  the  magne 
sium  lights.  This  trip  was  made  under  some  dif 
ficulty  on  account  of  the  heavy  rains,  which 
swelled  the  streams  and  rendered  the  roads  im 
passable.  For  this  reason  I  was  detained  three 
days  and  was  compelled  to  walk  three  miles  to 
reach  the  caves.  In  good  weather  this  would  be 
a  delightful  trip.  The  roads  would  be  in  fine 
condition  and  the  scenery  grand  in  the  extreme. 
But  the  trip  is  worth  taking  under  the  most  try 
ing  conditions. 


262  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

On  my  return  to  Sydney  I  stayed  a  few  days 
and  then  went  to  Melbourne,  a  distance  of  five 
hundred  and  seventy  miles  by  rail.  Sleeping  cars 
are  run  on  the  night  trains,  but  they  are  not  so 
fine  nor  are  the  accommodations  as  good  as  on 
roads  of  the  same  length  in  America.  At  Albury, 
a  station  on  the  dividing  line  between  the  Colonies 
of  New  South  Wales  and  Victoria,  a  change  of  cars 
is  made,  because  the  colonies  insist  on  maintaining 
different  gauges  for  their  railways.  The  country 
along  the  route  is  generally  uninteresting.  The 
landscape  is  everywhere  lacking  in  the  pictur 
esque,  by  reason  of  the  monotony  of  its  foliage. 
The  eucalyptus  is  almost  the  only  species  to  be 
seen,  which  at  its  best  is  not  a  very  beautiful  tree. 
The  soil  is  rich  and  produces  everything  that  can 
be  raised  in  California,  besides  many  kinds  of 
fruit  which  are  unknown  in  California.  Fruit  is 
sold  for  about  one-half  the  California  price. 

Melbourne,  the  capital  of  Victoria,  is  situated  on 
the  banks  of  the  Yarra.  It  has  a  population  of 
nearly  four  hundred  thousand,  and  differs  much 
from  Sydney.  The  latter,  with  its  beautiful  bay 
and  surroundings,  is  much  more  picturesque,  but 
the  streets  of  Melbourne  are  wider  and  better  laid 
out.  Melbourne  has  several  fine  parks  and  public 
gardens,  beautified  with  trees,  miniature  lakes, 
fountains,  rocky  basins,  and  artificial  waterfalls. 
The  Botanical  and  Zoological  Gardens  are  partic 
ularly  interesting,  the  latter  because  it  contains 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  263 

a  number  of  birds  and  animals  that  are  natives  of 
the  country.  The  kangaroo  and  wombat  are, 
I  believe,  to  be  found  in  no  other  in  the  world. 
There  are  also  animals  of  different  lands,  as  are 
to  be  seen  in  our  traveling  menageries.  There  is 
a  fine  collection  of  the  feathered  races,  those  of 
Australia  being  noted  for  the  gorgeousness  of 
their  plumage. 

Melbourne  has  a  fine  system  of  cable  railways. 
The  cars  are  of  the  same  pattern  as  those  in  use 
on  the  Market  Street  system  in  San  Francisco. 
They  are  well  patronized.  The  streets  are  so 
wide  that  the  cars  are  not  a  hindrance  to  other 
traffic. 

While  in  Australia  I  visited  Van  Dieman's 
Land,  now  called  Tasmania.  The  trip  occupies 
twenty  hours,  three  of  which  are  spent  on  the 
Yarra  River  and  Hobson  Bay.  We  then  passed 
out  through  the  heads  into  the  open  sea  just  at 
nightfall.  This  is  generally  a  rough  trip  and 
there  was  no  exception  to  the  rule  in  our  case. 
Our  little  craft  was  tossed  about  like  an  eggshell, 
but  she  was  a  good  sea  boat  and  rode  the  waves 
splendidly.  When  I  awoke  next  morning,  land 
was  in  sight.  On  approaching  it  we  entered  the 
broad  river  Tamar,  whose  banks  are  lined  with 
rushes  and  gum  trees.  As  we  proceeded,  we 
passed  in  rapid  succession  lovely  islands,  rounded 
slopes,  fertile  flats  with  verdant  foliage,  and  here 
and  there  isolated  houses.  After  three  hours'  ride 


264  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

up  this  river  between  narrowing  banks  that  dis 
closed  some  fresh  beauty  at  every  turn,  we  ap 
proached  the  city  of  Launceston. 

It  is  the  second  city  in  size  on  the  island,  Ho- 
bart  being  the  largest  It  is  situated  at  the  junc 
tion  of  the  North  and  South  Esk  Rivers,  where 
they  merge  into  the  wider  waters  of  the  Tamar. 
There  is  not  much  to  be  seen  except  the  gorge 
through  which  the  North  Esk  tumbles  down  to 
the  Tamar  in  a  series  of  cascades,  gliding  between 
huge  rocks  several  hundreds  of  feet  in  height, 
forming  a  living  picture  of  great  beauty. 

From  there  I  went  by  a  narrow-gauge  railway 
to  Hobart,  the  capital  of  the  island.  The  route 
is  over  steep  grades,  around  sharp  curves,  and 
through  picturesque  scenery.  About  twenty  miles 
from  Hobart  we  came  in  sight  of  the  River  Der- 
went,  which  we  followed  to  the  city.  The  shores 
of  this  river  are  bold  and  picturesque.  The  hills 
rise  beyond  them  in  flowing  lines  until  they  melt 
into  distant  mountains.  These,  with  capes,  trees, 
and  dwellings,  form  a  picture  the  beauty  of 
which  is  rarely  surpassed. 

Hobart  is  a  pretty  city  charmingly  situated. 
It  is  surrounded  by  hills  and  mountains,  except 
where  the  Derwent  opens  into  lake-like  form, 
making  a  deep  and  well-sheltered  harbor,  whence 
it  leads  its  way  into  the  Southern  Ocean.  There 
are  many  delightful  drives  about  Hobart,  and  ex 
cursion  steamers  make  daily  trips  to  places  of  in- 
erest  in  the  vicinity. 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  265 

I  took  a  fifteen-mile  drive  into  the  country  over 
the  Hun  Road.  As  soon  as  we  left  the  streets  of 
the  city,  we  commenced  to  ascend  an  easy  grade 
and  a  good  road  along  the  base  of  Mt.  Welling 
ton,  until  we  reached  an  elevation  of  one  thousand 
two  hundred  feet.  Along  this  road  are  grand 
primeval  forests.  The  huge  stumps  of  the  gum 
trees  alternate  with  vegetation  of  a  lesser  growth. 
The  underwood  is  starred  everywhere  with  bush 
flowers  and  ferns.  The  wattle  tree,  with  a  pretty 
yellow  flower,  the  lily  of  the  valley,  and  the  honey 
suckle,  besides  a  score  of  other  varieties,  are  to  be 
seen  everywhere. 

On  the  western  side  of  the  island  are  vast  for 
ests,  and  mountains  rise  from  five  thousand  feet 
to  the  dome  of  Ben  Lomond,  fifteen  thousand  and 
ten  feet  above  the  sea.  The  island  is  very  pro 
ductive.  The  apples,  pears,  and  peaches  are  noted 
for  their  size  and  flavor.  In  fact,  all  the  fruits  of 
the  northern  countries  are  produced  here  in  great 
abundance  and  perfection.  The  island  is  re 
nowned  for  its  beautiful  women.  The  ones  born 
there  are  very  good  looking,  as  a  rule.  The  na 
tive  Indians  are  quite  extinct.  The  last  one,  a 
woman,  died  in  1876. 

Tasmania,  or,  as  it  was  then  known,  Van  Die- 
man's  Land,  was  for  many  years  a  penal  colony, 
and  ships  arriving  here  from  England  with  con 
victs  landed  at  Hobart.  But  that  kind  of  immi 
gration  was  stopped  many  years  ago.  Tasmania 


LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

is  now  one  of  the  Australian  colonies,  with  a  gov 
ernor,  House  of  Parliament,  and  House  of  Repre 
sentatives,  but,  like  the  other  colonies,  it  is  under 
the  protection  of  Great  Britain. 

Returning  to  Melbourne,  I  embarked  on  the 
steamship  Yarra,  of  the  French  mail,  for  Mar 
seilles,  France.  Our  first  stopping  place  was  Port 
Adelaide,  where  we  took  the  train  for  the  city  of 
Adelaide,  nine  miles  inland.  It  is  an  attractive 
city,  of  nearly  thirty  thousand  inhabitants.  It  is 
the  capital  of  South  Australia.  Its  streets  are 
wide.  Most  of  the  houses  are  built  of  white  sand 
stone.  The  trim  gardens,  well-kept  lawns,  and 
luxuriant  hawthorne  hedges  give  the  city  a  light 
and  cheerful  appearance.  While  I  was  here,  I 
took  a  carriage  ride  over  the  town  and  visited  the 
Botanical  Gardens.  They  are  quite  extensive 
and  very  handsome.  They  are  adorned  with 
statuary,  artificial  lakes,  trees,  ferns,  and  flowers, 
making  a  most  delightful  resort.  People  gather 
there  by  the  thousands  to  promenade  to  the  lively 
strains  of  music  rendered  by  a  military  band. 

Our  next  stopping  place  was  at  Albany,  a  small 
town  on  the  shore  of  King  George's  Sound,  in 
Western  Australia.  The  coast  line  along  this 
sound  is  broken  but  picturesque.  Some  of  the 
capes  rise  perpendicularly  from  the  sea.  As  we 
approached  the  entrance  to  the  harbor,  great 
basaltic  columns  were  to  be  seen  at  the  right  and 
left,  resembling  castles  and  towers,  rising  in  many 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  267 

places  more  than  a  thousand  feet  above  the  sea. 
There  is  not  much  to  be  seen  in  Albany — a  few 
streets  and  some  tine  residences  surrounded  by 
iiower  gardens.  The  town  lies  in  a  nice  little 
cove  on  the  sound,  a  beautiful  sheet  of  water 
studded  with  rocky  islands.  Beyond  this  is  Cape 
Lunen,  the  last  land  we  were  destined  to  see  for 
twelve  days.  Leaving  here,  we  rounded  this 
cape  and  commenced  our  journey  of  three  thou 
sand  nine  hundred  and  twenty -six  miles,  to  make 
one  of  the  islands  in  the  Sechelles  group.  We 
were  now  fairly  out  of  the  South  Pacific  and  in 
the  Indian  Ocean. 

On  the  third  day  out  we  encountered  a  gale 
from  the  southwest,  which  lasted  all  day.  The 
sea  presented  a  sublime  spectacle.  It  was  lashed 
by  the  wind  into  huge,  mountain -like  waves, 
which  came  rolling  over  and  over  from  as  far  as 
the  eye  could  reach.  It  was  a  grand  sight  to  me, 
for  I  am  not  timid  or  affected  by  the  motion  of 
the  ship.  I  sat  on  deck  for  hours  watching  the 
foaming  heaps  of  water  as  they  came  rolling  di 
rectly  towards  us.  Our  ship  met  them  nobly  and 
rode  triumphantly  over  their  heads. 

Towards  night  the  wind  went  down,  and  the 
next  morning  we  had  a  bright  sky,  a  pleasant 
wind,  and  a  smooth  sea.  When  I  woke  on  the 
morning  of  the  twelfth  day  from  Albany,  land 
was  in  sight.  It  was  hailed  with  delight  by  all 
on  board.  I  know  of  nothing  that  affords  one  so 


268  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

much  pleasure  as  a  stroll  on  shore  after  being  con 
fined  for  weeks  to  the  narrow  limits  of  a  steam 
ship,  with  nothing  to  see  but  the  sky  and  the 
ocean.  We  had  reached  the  island  of  Mahe,  one 
of  the  Sechelles  group.  It  is  situated  in  the  In 
dian  Ocean  off  the  coast  of  Madagascar,  four  de 
grees  south  of  the  equator. 

These  islands,  together  with  the  Mauritius 
group  lying  near,  belong  to  England.  They  form 
a  colony,  have  a  governor  and  House  of  Parlia 
ment. 

The  island  presents  an  attractive  picture  as  one 
approaches  it  from  the  sea.  It  appears  to  be  one 
vast  mountain  of  rock,  with  little  or  no  vegeta 
tion,  but  on  entering  the  beautiful  bay  on  which 
the  town  is  located,  an  enchanting  landscape  is 
spread  out  to  view.  The  immediate  vicinity  is  rich 
with  all  kinds  of  tropical  vegetation,  running  far 
back  into  the  foothills.  Further  on,  overlooking 
this,  is  a  perpendicular  ledge  of  rock  almost  a 
thousand  feet  in  height.  It  extends  the  entire 
length  of  the  island,  with  pinnacle  after  pinnacle 
rising  in  the  air.  They  resemble  the  spires  and 
minarets  of  a  large  city. 

The  population  is  fifteen  thousand.  Nearly  all 
are  black.  About  three  thousand  of  these  are 
residents  of  the  picturesque  little  town  of  the  port. 
This  island  was  not  inhabited  by  any  native  race 
when  England  took  possession  of  it.  Afterwards 
people  were  brought  from  Africa  by  vessels  of  the 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  269 

British  Navy.  The  town  has  a  few  business 
streets,  that  are  very  narrow  and  are  without  side 
walks.  Back  of  these,  in  the  residence  portion, 
are  strewn  thousands  of  immense  bowlders  and 
rocks  that  have  broken  from  the  ledge  above  and 
have  come  tumbling  down  to  where  they  now  lie. 

All  over  this  portion  of  the  town  are  small, 
primitive  dwellings,  built,  not  upon  streets  but 
upon  bridle  paths  that  wind  among  the  rocks  and 
bowlders.  These  are  shaded  by  delightful  groves 
of  lemon,  banana,  cocoanut,  and  breadfruit,  so 
dense  that  the  sun  can  scarcely  penetrate  them. 
The  climate  is  extremely  warm.  While  walking 
along  these  paths,  one  sees  the  entire  population 
sitting  in  groups  upon  rocks  under  these  shades, 
gossiping  and  idling  away  their  time  as  best  suits 
their  fancy.  The  industry  of  this  island  is  the 
cultivation  of  vanilla,  cloves,  nutmegs,  cinnamon, 
black  pepper,  cocoa,  and  coffee. 

The  next  day  after  leaving  here  we  crossed  the 
equator,  and  it  was  pleasant  to  see  rising  higher 
and  higher  in  the  evening  skies  the  familiar  con 
stellations.  The  northern  heavens  are  much  more 
brilliant  than  the  southern.  We  were  glad  to  bid 
farewell  to  the  Southern  Cross  and  see  again  the 
Great  Bear  and  the  Polar  Star.  It  seemed  like 
meeting  old  friends. 

Our  next  landing  place  was  Aden,  in  Arabia. 
This  is  a  small  town,  located  on  the  Gulf  of  Aden, 
near  the  entrance  to  the  Red  Sea.  Surrounding 


270  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OP 

the  town  are  vast  mountains  of  rock,  destitute  of 
vegetation.  The  city  is  located  about  five  miles 
inland.  It  is  situated  on  a  dry  plain  at  the  foot 
of  almost  perpendicular  bluffs  of  volcanic  rocks. 
It  is  a  fine  drive  from  the  port  to  the  city.  The 
road  is  good  and  is  lined  with  half-naked  Arabs 
on  foot,  and  camels  and  donkeys  heavily  laden 
with  all  kinds  of  merchandise.  Looking  back 
from  the  highest  point  on  the  road,  which  is 
reached  by  zigzags,  the  sight  is  a  grand  one.  It  is 
a  moving  panorama  of  life.  The  city  has  a  pop 
ulation  of  nearly  thirty  thousand,  mostly  black. 
It  is  supplied  with  water  from  some  ancient  tanks 
that  were  built  about  the  year  600. 

Aden  is  supposed  to  be  a  large  crater  formed  of 
lofty,  precipitous  hills,  of  which  the  highest  peak 
is  one  thousand  seven  hundred  and  seventy-five 
feet  in  height.  These  slope  toward  the  sea,  with 
numerous  spires,  which  form  a  series  of  valleys 
radiating  from  a  common  center.  The  descent  of 
the  rain  water  from  these  hills  through  numer 
ous  ravines  converges  into  one  valley  above  the 
town,  where  tanks  are  located  for  the  collection 
and  storage  of  water.  There  are  thirteen  now  in 
use.  Some  are  formed  by  a  dyke,  which  is  built 
across  the  valley,  others,  by  being  cut  out  of  the 
rock.  In  fact,  every  feature  of  the  rock  has  been 
taken  advantage  of  and  connected  by  small  aque 
ducts,  so  that  no  water  is  lost.  The  overflow  of 
one  tank  has  been  conducted  into  the  succeeding 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  271 

one;  thus  a  complete  chain  has  been  formed,  reach 
ing  to  the  town. 

From  there  I  went  to  Sue/,  passed  through  the 
Red  Sea  and  the  Gulf  of  Suez,  where  to  our  right 
could  be  seen  the  historic  Mt,  Sinai.  This  is  the 
mountain  on  which  Moses  is  believed  to  have  re 
ceived  the  commandments.  At  Suez  we  com 
menced  our  journey  through  the  canal.  We  were 
piloted  on  the  block  system,  except  in  the  great 
lakes,  where  ships  pass  each  other  freely  and  steam 
at  full  speed. 

At  every  station  there  are  signal  posts,  from 
which  steamships  are  directed  to  go  into  the  sid 
ing  or  into  the  canal  as  may  be  required.  All 
vessels  running  at  night  have  an  electric  projector, 
that  throws  light  from  twelve  to  fifteen  hundred 
yards.  It  was  a  grand  sight  to  see  six  or  eight 
great  ships  go  on  while  we  waited  at  a  siding. 

Arriving  at  Port  Said,  at  the  northern  end  of 
the  canal,  I  spent  a  few  hours  on  shore.  I  had 
been  here  in  1883.  It  was  the  first  place  I  visited 
on  this  trip  that  1  had  seen  before.  It  had  not 
changed.  We  were  beset,  as  formerly,  by  a  herd 
of  beggars  of  all  nations.  Groups  of  idle  Arabs 
in  their  native  dress  lounging  about  the  streets,  a 
few  women  in  their  dark  blue  gowns  and  veils, 
some  camels  and  donkeys,  are  all  that  are  to  be 
remembered  of  Port  Said. 

It  was  our  last  landing  place  until  we  reached 
Marseilles.  On  this  voyage  we  passed  many  of  the 


272  LIFE   AND    TRAVELS   OP 

beautiful  islands  of  the  Mediterranean,  which 
broke  the  monotony  of  the  journey.  On  the  day 
after  leaving  Port  Said,  we  ran  along  the  coast  of 
Crete  or  Candia  for  some  distance.  On  the  morn 
ing  of  the  third  day  we  passed  through  the  Straits 
of  Messina,  which  separate  Italy  from  the  island 
of  Sicily.  The  scenery  is  grand.  The  run  through 
the  straits  takes  about  three  hours.  At  our  left, 
on  the  island  of  Sicily,  there  is  a  succession  of 
ridges  terminating  near  the  water's  edge  in  bluffs. 
Between  these  ridges  are  delightful  little  valleys 
gradually  sloping  down  to  the  water,  with  numer 
ous  towns  and  hamlets  nestling  among  luxuriant 
groves  of  oranges,  lemons,  and  olives.  Back  of 
these  rise  the  black,  volcanic  dome  of  Mt.  Etna, 
ten  thousand  eight  hundred  and  eighty  feet  high. 
The  whole  forms  a  picture  not  soon  to  be  forgotten. 
The  city  of  Messina  lies  along  these  straits  in 
full  view.  It  was  founded  by  the  Greeks  as  a 
colony  nearly  three  thousand  years  ago,  and  is 
still  a  flourishing  port.  It  seems  to  spread  itself 
along  the  shore  for  miles.  Old  castles  and  towers 
top  every  eminence.  They  are  flanked  by  strong 
modem  forts  and  handsome  buildings  that  rise 
one  above  another.  The  whole  being  backed  by 
a  dark  forest,  gives  the  town  a  fine  appearance 
from  the  sea.  After  emerging  from  the  straits, 
we  passed  the  Lipari  Group  of  volcanic  islands- 
From  the  domes  of  some  I  could  see  smoke  rising, 
especially  Stromboli.  This  is  a  round  dome  ris 
ing  from  the  sea  in  the  shape  of  a  sugar  loaf. 


JAMES    BATCH  ELDER.  '21 3 

The  next  morning  we  passed  through  the 
Straits  of  Bonifacio,  between  Corsica  and  Sardinia. 
These  islands  are  barren  and  mountainous.  There 
is  not  much  to  be  seen  on  them  from  the  ship  ex 
cept  the  sight  of  land,  which  is  always  interesting 
to  one  011  an  ocean  voyage.  The  following  morn 
ing  we  were  at  Marseilles,  thus  completing  our 
journey  of  nearly  ten  thousand  miles  and  occupy 
ing  thirty-three  days.  The  trip  was  uneventful. 
There  was  a  large  number  of  passengers  of  differ 
ent  nationalities.  The  ship  was  well  appointed, 
and  all  minor  details,  such  as  board,  cabin,  etc., 
were  all  that  could  be  desired.  The  weather  was 
brilliantly  fine  for  the  most  part.  Dances,  games, 
theatricals,  etc.,  marked  at  intervals  the  progress 
of  the  voyage.  General  comfort  and  good  will 
existed  on  board. 


18 


CHAPTER  XV. 

CONTINUATION  OF  SECOND  TRIP  AROUND  THE  WORLD 

f 

ARSEILLES  is  the  oldest  city  in  Western 
Europe.  It  was  founded  by  the  Phoeni 
cians  six  hundred  years  before  Christ. 
The  city  was  a  republic,  electing  a  council  of  six 
hundred  members,  who  chose  from  among  them 
selves  fifteen  rulers.  They  formed  several  colo 
nies,  and  the  city  prospered.  She  was  in  the  height 
of  her  glory  at  the  time  of  Caesar.  But  having 
taken  sides. against  him,  he  destroyed  the  fortifi 
cations,  robbed  her  of  all  her  treasures  and  of  all 
her  colonies  excepting  Nice,  leaving  her  so  weak 
that  she  fell  an  easy  prey  to  the  Goths  and  other 
barbarians.  She  did  not  recover  her  greatness  for 
centuries.  At  the  time  of  the  Crusades,  the  city 
was  as  rich  and  important  as  in  its  early  days. 
In  1660  Louis  XIV.  succeeded  in  conquering  it 
arid  in  depriving  it  of  its  ancient  rights.  He 
united  it  to  France,  so  its  independence  was  at  an 

end. 

(274) 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  275 

The  city  is  situated  in  the  midst  of  a  semicircle 
of  mountains  of  whitish  rock.  It  has  a  beauti 
ful  harbor,  in  front  of  which  are  several  rocky  is 
lands.  The  surrounding  country  is  a  dusty  valley, 
which  is  carefully  cultivated,  being  planted  with 
vineyards  and  orchards  of  olive,  fig,  and  pome 
granate  trees.  The  old  town  is  ugly  but  the  new 
part  is  built  of  light-colored  stone.  It  has  broad 
streets  and  fine  sidewalks.  Its  population  is 
nearly  six  hundred  thousand.  The  city  slopes 
gradually  upward  from  the  harbor  on  two  hills 
almost  four  hundred  feet  above  the  sea.  On  the 
top  of  one  of  these  stands  the  church  of  Notre 
Dame.  There  is  a  high  terrace  in  front  of  this 
church.  Jt  is  ascended  by  several  paths  and 
many  steps,  from  which  an  extensive  view  of  the 
city  and  country  can  be  obtained. 

One  can  see  the  entire  width  of  the  valley  and 
innumerable  white  villas  on  the  surrounding 
hills.  In  the  opposite  direction  the  view  extends 
over  the  harbor  and  the  barren  group  of  islands 
at  its  entrance,  with  the  Mediterranean  in  the  dis 
tance.  The  city  contains  fine  museums,  parks, 
and  zoological  gardens. 

From  Marseilles  I  went  to  Nice  by  rail.  The 
route  is  along  the  coast  near  the  water.  It  is 
dotted  with  villages  and  summer  residences  and 
lined  with  cactus  hedges.  One  sees  on  the  way 
numerous  olive  orchards,  also  gardens  of  vio 
lets,  cassia  flowers,  roses,  and  other  fragrant  bios- 


276  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

sotns,  which  are  manufactured  into  perfumery. 
Nice  is  a  charming  place.  Tt  is  situated  on  the 
shores  of  the  Mediterranean,  and  is  celebrated  for 
its  pure  air  and  mild  temperature.  Fogs  being 
unknown,  thousands  of  people  from  the  north  of 
Europe  gather  here  during  the  winter  months. 
There  are  many  hotels  for  their  accommodation. 

From  Nice  I  went  to  Monaco  and  Monte  Carlo. 
This  is  a  delightful  jaunt,  through  gardens  and 
orange  groves,  past  fields  of  almond  trees  in  full 
bloom  and  hillsides  covered  with  olives.  To  our 
right,  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  stretched  the 
blue  Mediterranean,  dotted  with  sails.  Ahead  of 
us  the  majestic  masses  of  the  Maritime  Alps,  with 
their  snow-capped  summits,  could  be  seen.  As 
we  approached  Monte  Carlo,  our  surroundings 
became  more  and  more  beautiful.  The  city  lies 
on  the  side  of  a  steep  hill,  with  terrace  after  terrace, 
fringed  with  majestic  palms  and  gardens  glowing 
with  flowers  of  every  color. 

This  is  an  independent  principality  compris 
ing  six  square  miles.  It  includes  Monaco  and 
Monte  Carlo.  It  is  governed  by  Prince  Charles, 
who  has  an  elegant  palace  at  Monaco.  He  has 
his  own  postal  system  and  a  standing  army  of 
about  one  hundred  men.  He  receives  a  large 
revenue  from  the  gambling  casinoes  at  Monte 
Carlo.  Monte  Carlo  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
places  I  have  ever  seen.  It  is  full  of  hotels,  casi 
noes,  gardens,  theaters,  delightful  walks  and 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  277 

drives.  It  is  the  great  gambling  headquarters  of 
the  world,  where  fortunes  are  daily  lost  and  won 
on  the  turn  of  a  single  card.  The  managers  of 
the  casinoes  are  very  careful  as  to  what  visitors 
they  admit.  No  minor  or  citizen  of  Monaco  is  al 
lowed  entrance.  If  a  man  is  left  penniless,  the 
company  advances  him  sufficient  money  for  his 
fare  home,  wherever  that  may  be,  which  serves 
the  purpose  of  removing  inconvenient  people  and 
of  keeping  things  pleasant.  But  occasionally  a 
poor  fellow  will  blow  out  his  brains  when  fortune 
has  forsaken  him. 

From  Monaco  I  returned  to  Marseilles,  where  1 
took  the  steamer  for  Algiers,  in  North  Africa. 
This  excursion  occupied  twenty-eight  hours.  On 
entering  the  harbor  the  view  from  the  ship  is 
very  picturesque.  The  city  rises  abruptly  from 
the  bay,  reaching  high  upon  the  mountains- 
There  is  a  stone  viaduct  two  hundred  feet  back 
from  the  bay.  It  is  one  hundred  feet  high  and  a 
mile  long.  It  follows  the  contour  of  the  bay.  It 
is  built  upon  a  series  of  archways,  the  lower  tiers 
being  used  for  stores  and  market  places,  and  the 
top  as  a  wide  street  or  boulevard. 

All  the  houses  in  the  city  are  whitened  inside 
and  out.  They  rise  abruptly  one  above  another, 
and  form  an  immense  amphitheater,  all  of  which 
can  be  plainly  seen  from  the  sea.  The  city  is  di 
vided  into  two  parts,  the  lower,  or  European,  and 
the  upper,  or  Arabian.  The  European  part  was 


278  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

built  by  the  French.  The  buildups  are  mostly 
of  hewn  stone,  four  and  five  stories  high,  with 
small  iron  balconies  at  each  floor. 

This  division  has  some  fine  parks,  and  a  public 
square  called  La  Place  du  Gouvernement.  This 
is  large,  and  is  fringed  with  maple  trees.  There 
is  a  life-sized  statue  of  the  Duke  of  Orleans  in  the 
center.  A  military  band  plays  to  a  great  con 
course  of  people  of  nearly  every  nation  under  the 
sun :  Arabs,  Moors,  Turks,  Israelites  in  Moorish 
dress,  Frenchmen,  Italians,  Spaniards,  Moorish 
women  with  their  faces  covered  to  their  eyes,  and 
a  multitude  of  strangers  from  all  parts  of  the 
world,  each  speaking  his  own  language  and  dress 
ing  according  to  his  habit  or  the  custom  of  the 
country. 

The  upper  or  Arabian  part  is  inhabited  chiefly 
by  Arabs  and  Jews.  It  lies  on  the  side  of  a  steep 
hill  rising  behind  the  French  town.  The  streets 
are  very  narrow  and  so  steep  that  carriages  can 
not  be  used  on  them.  These  streets  are  joined 
by  many  alleys  just  wide  enough  to  pass  through. 
They  are  very  confusing  to  the  stranger,  but  a 
walk  through  this  quarter  was  more  interesting 
to  me  than  any  of  the  sights  of  modern  Algiers. 
Three  Sundays  are  celebrated  there  in  each  week : 
the  Arabs  keep  Friday,  the  Jews  Saturday,  and 
the  French  Sunday. 

The  city  was  founded  in  the  tenth  century,  and 
until  181  (>  it  was  a  formidable  stronghold  of  pi- 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  279 

rates.  Up  to  that  time  the  Algerines  were  the 
terror  of  the  seas.  They  were  especially  dreaded 
on  account  of  their  habit  of  retaining  in  slavery 
all  whom  they  captured  in  war.  Since  then  a 
great  change  has  come  over  the  place.  The 
French  seized  the  district  in  1830,  and  now  the 
town  and  its  neighborhood  has  become  a  sanato 
rium  for  modern  Europe.  It  is  a  gay  place.  Its 
cafes  swarm  with  gaily  uniformed  officers.  In 
front  of  these  cafes  are  singing  girls  dressed  in 
white,  wearing  full  trousers  gathered  around  the 
ankle  and  slippers  without  stockings.  Its  streets 
teem  with  the  peasantry  in  their  picturesque  cos 
tumes.  Donkeys  laden  with  market  produce  pass 
and  repass,  followed  by  men  in  red  caps  and  blue 
blouses,  or  maidens  in  their  short  skirts  and  sabots. 

From  Algiers  I  went  to  Oran  by  rail.  This 
was  a  thirteen  hours'  ride  and  full  of  interest. 
The  road  winds  through  one  of  the  richest  and 
most  beautiful  countries  I  have  ever  seen.  It  be 
ing  in  the  month  of  May,  the  ground  was  carpeted 
with  grass  and  wild  flowers  everywhere,  and  with 
the  blossoming  fruit  trees  formed  a  charming  pic 
ture. 

Oran  has  a  population  of  about  one  hundred 
and  fifty  thousand.  It  is  a  dull  place,  with  not 
much  to  see  that  will  interest  anyone,  so  I  took 
passage  on  the  steamer  for  Malaga,  in  Spain. 
This  city  has  about  the  same  population  as  Oran, 
and  is  very  much  like  it  as  far  as  sight-seeing  is 
concerned.  They  are  both  very  old  cities. 


280  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

Malaga  is  situated  on  a  delightful  plain  sur 
rounded  by  hills,  which  produce  raisins,  figs  al 
monds,  oranges,  lemons,  and  limes,  all  introduced 
into  Spain  by  the  enterprising  Moors  before  1492. 
They  occupied  this  place  for  about  eight  hundred 
years. 

From  Malaga  I  went  to  Gibraltar,  the  most 
strongly  fortified  place  in  the  world.  The  city 
lies  within  the  fortress,  and  when  a  stranger  ar 
rives  he  must  get  a  permit  from  the  proper  au 
thorities.  The  permit  allows  him  to  stay  only 
until  the  first  gun  is  fired,  at  eight  p.  M.,  after 
which  time,  if  he  wishes  to  prolong  his  stay,  his 
hotel  manager  gets  his  leave  extended. 

When  I  was  in  Gibraltar,  I  visited  its  galleries. 
These  are  tunnels  and  massive  arches  in  the  solid 
rock.  They  are  supported  by  columns  and  ex 
tend  around  the  whole  face  of  it  in  two  ranges. 
From  these,  at  intervals,  openings  have  been 
blasted,  through  which  peer  the  muzzles  of  guns. 
The  galleries  are  fully  armed,  and  have  large 
magazines  attached  to  them. 

After  obtaining  permission  from  the  authori 
ties,  I  proceeded  to  the  old  Moorish  castle  yard  and 
was  conducted  through  the  galleries  by  one  of  the 
gunners,  who  explained  everything  to  me.  The 
rock  is  one  thousand  four  hundred  feet  high,  and 
the  view  from  it  is  very  extensive.  Two  seas  and 
the  famous  Straits  of  Gibraltar,  bordered  by  two 
continents,  are  spread  out  to  the  view.  Below  us 


JAMES    BATCH  ELDER.  281 

could  be  seen  the  whole  of  the  town  of  Gibraltar 
as  on  a  map,  the  sandy  isthmus  with  the  waves 
breaking  in  white  crests  on  its  shore,  and  the  vil 
lage  of  Catlin  nestling  at  the  foot  of  the  tremen 
dous  precipice  which  almost  overhangs  it.  Along 
the  shore  one  sees  numerous  fishing  villages 
backed  by  green  fields  and  orange  groves,  while 
far  beyond  rise  in  majestic  grandeur  the  Serrania 
de  Honda  and  the  Sierra  Nevada,  covered  with 
perpetual  snow.  The  Moors  held  Gibraltar  for 
seven  hundred  and  fifty-one  years.  It  was  their 
first  landing  place  and  their  last  point  of  depar 
ture  from  Europe. 

Leaving  that  city  I  went  to  Langier,  in  Morocco, 
a  distance  of  about  forty  miles,  and  occupying 
nearly  four  hours'  time  by  steamer.  The  sudden 
change  from  the  manners  and  customs  of  the 
West  to  those  of  the  oriental  nations,  which  are 
to  be  seen  here  in  perfection,  is  curious  and  inter 
esting.  The  streets  are  steep  and  narrow.  They 
are  crowded  with  Moors  in  their  picturesque  cos 
tumes,  Jews,  easily  recognizable  by  their  peculiar 
dress,  slaves  of  every  tinge,  and  wild  -looking  men 
from  the  Riff  Coast,  with  uncovered  heads,  shaven 
all  but  one  long  lock,  by  which  they  expect  to  be 
pulled  up  into  heaven.  These  men  are  the  verita 
ble  descendants  of  the  old  Riff  pirates.  The  Med 
iterranean  was  a  wide  field  for  their  operations. 

The  oddest  and  most  engaging  sights  in  the  city 
are  to  be  seen  at  the  market  place.  There  are 


LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

caravans  of  weary  animals  which  have  arrived 
with  enormous  loads  from  the  interior,  strings  of 
little  Barbary  donkeys  that  have  also  brought  up 
heavy  burdens,  the  Arab  musician,  with  his  pipe 
and  tom-tom,  the  snake  charmer,  the  story-teller, 
with  a  circle  of  attentive  listeners,  women  closely 
veiled  sitting  in  groups  in  the  shade.  Moorish 
soldiers  with  their  blue  cloaks  and  red  caps  form 
a  rare  picture.  One  finds  it  difficult  to  wend  his 
way  through  the  crowd. 

Tangier  is  a  very  old  town.  It  was  a  city  of 
importance  before  the  time  of  the  Romans.  It  is 
now  the  residence  of  the  foreign  representatives  to 
the  emperor.  They  are  not  permitted  to  enter 
the  capital.  The  city  is  built  on  two  hills,  near  the 
western  side  of  a  fine  bay  surrounded  by  magnifi 
cent  mountains.  There  are  some  picturesque 
ruins  of  the  Roman  period  near  the  town,  but  the 
people  of  the  place  constitute  its  chief  attraction. 
All  the  houses  are  white  and  generally  of  only 
one  story,  with  no  windows  opening  on  the  street. 
They  are  lighted  by  an  open  court  on  the  inside. 
Some  of  those  of  the  better  classes  are  gorgeously 
fitted  up,  the  furnishing  being  of  the  very  best. 
Here  and  there  rise  the  tall  minarets  of  a  mosque, 
brilliant  with  its  many  colored  mosaics.  From 
these  mosques,  when  all  else  is  calm  and  still,  rises 
the  cry  calling  the  faithful  to  prayer. 

Fez,  the  capital  of  Morocco,  is  situated  in  the 
northern  part  of  the  empire.  The  government  is 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  283 

an  absolute  monarchy,  the  emperor  holding  the 
destinies  of  life  and  property  in  his  own  hands. 
Nearly  all  of  the  Moors  belong  to  the  Moham 
medan  faith.  They  date  from  the  time  they  claim 
Mohammed  took  his  flight  to  heaven.  By  this 
reckoning,  when  I  was  there,  in  1890,  it  was  1307. 

Leaving  Tangier  we  sailed  out  through  the 
Straits  of  Gibraltar  into  the  broad  Atlantic,  and, 
after  a  few  hours,  cast  anchor  at  the  harbor  of 
Cadiz,  an  attractive  city  delightfully  situated.  It 
is  at  the  extreme  end  of  a  long  peninsula  which 
is  joined  to  the  continent  on  the  south  by  a  very 
narrow  strip  of  land.  Though  the  streets  are  not 
wide,  they  are  long  and  very  clean.  The  houses, 
which  are  high  and  bright  colored,  are  crowned 
with  terraces  having  glass  and  gilt  balconies. 

The  city  has  a  population  of  sixty -five  thousand. 
It  contains  several  public  squares  and  fine  prom 
enades.  The  Alameda  is  a  delightful  one.  It  is 
along  the  ramparts,  which  are  built  of  granite  with 
a  series  of  spacious  terraces.  A  military  band 
plays  there  every  night  during  the  summer,  and 
all  the  beauty  of  the  city  go  out  to  walk  along 
this  promenade.  Cadez  is  very  old.  It  was  cap 
tured  by  the  Romans  two  hundred  and  six  years 
before  the  Christian  era.  At  one  time  it  was  the 
most  important  city  in  the  world.  It  has  few 
objects  of  interest  except  the  ladies. 

I  went  next  to  the  beautiful  city  of  Seville, 
located  on  the  Guadalquivir.  This  too  is  a  very 


284  LIFE    AND    THAVKLS   OF 

old  place.  It  was  taken  by  Julius  Ccesar  forty- 
five  years  before  Christ  and  was  afterwards  a 
favorite  post  of  the  Romans.  There  are  still 
many  vestiges  of  its  magnificence  and  prosperity 
during  the  Roman  rule,  viz.,  a  portion  of  the  walls 
and  towers  and  the  aqueduct.  It  is  one  of  the 
most  pleasant  and  interesting  cities  in  Spain.  It 
has  narrow,  shady  streets  lined  with  high  houses, 
having  courts  in  the  center,  which  contain  foun 
tains,  orange  trees,  and  flowering  plants.  There 
are  also  plants  on  the  house  tops.  The  sight-seer 
is  detained  by  the  beautiful  cathedral,  the  picture 
galleries,  the  museums,  the  Alcazar,  and  the  to 
bacco  factory. 

The  Alcazar  is  a  portion  of  the  former  Moorish 
palace,  erected  when  Seville  was  an  independent 
kingdom.  It  is  very  beautiful  and  has  since  been 
occupied  by  Peter  the  Cruel,  Ferdinand,  Charles 
V.,  and  other  Catholic  kings.  It  covers  a  large 
area  and  is  flanked  by  great  square  towers,  built 
of  stone  brought  from  the  ancient  temple  of  Her 
cules.  The  grand  court  is  ninety  feet  long  and 
seventy  feet  wide.  There  are  twenty-four  arches 
opening  into  it.  The  floor  is  paved  with  beauti 
ful  marble.  On  one  side  is  the  recess  where  once 
stood  the  Moorish  throne.  In  one  of  the  wings 
was  the  private  chapel  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella- 
it  was  in  the  Alcazar  that  Isabella  gave  audience 
to  Columbus.  The  walls  and  altar  of  this  chapel 
are  considered  the  finest  in  Europe.  It  would  be 


JAMES    BATCHELDER. 


285 


useless  for  me  to  attempt  a  full  description  of  this 
building,  so  I  will  pass  on  to  the  tobacco  factory. 
The  factory  is  in  a  building  six  hundred  and 
sixty  feet  long  and  five  hundred  and  twenty-five 
feet  wide.  It  has  twenty-eight  interior  rooms 
without  partitions,  separated  only  by  arches  which 
support  the  roof.  The  factory  is  carried  on  by 
the  government  and  employs  five  thousand  women 
and  girls  in  preparing  tobacco  and  making  it  into 
cigars  and  cigarettes.  Their  fingers  move  with 
amazing  rapidity.  Nearly  ten  thousand  pounds 
of  tobacco  are  used  in  a  single  day.  Some  of  these 
women  bring  their  infants  and  keep  them  in 
baskets  by  their  sides  while  they  perform  their 
task.  The  best  workers  among  the  women  make 
forty  cents  a  day,  while  the  poorest  make  about 
half  that  amount.  They  must  all  be  examined 
at  night  before  leaving  the  factory,  for  it  is  said 
they  will  steal.  The  process  is  tedious  and  amus 
ing  but  necessary. 

The  Cathedral  of  Seville  is  one  of  the  largest 
and  most  magnificent  in  Spain  and  perhaps  in 
the  world.  It  is  five  hundred  and  eighty-two 
feet  long  by  four  hundred  and  twenty  feet  wide. 
It  has  nine  entrances.  The  interior  is  divided 
into  five  naves,  supported  by  immense  pillars.  Its 
painted  windows,  ninety-three  in  number,  are  the 
finest  in  Spain.  The  floor  is  paved  with  large 
blocks  of  black  and  white  marble.  There  are 
thirty-seven  chapels  in  the  cathedral,  each  of 


286  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS  OF 

which  contains  a  world  of  wealth.  It  contains 
many  beautiful  paintings  and  statues  executed 
by  the  old  masters.  The  grandeur  of  this  church 
when  the  shades  of  evening  are  falling  is  very 
impressive. 

The  favorite  promenade  of  the  Sevilians  is  the 
Delicias  de  Cristina,  situated  along  the  banks  of 
the  Guadalquivir.  It  is  divided  by  charming 
walks  and  drives  and  contains  horticultural  and 
botanical  gardens.  The  walks  are  planted  with 
acacia,  cypress,  and  other  trees,  under  whose  shade 
the  beauty  and  fashion  of  Seville  do  their  flirting 
and  star  gazing,  while  the  air  is  fragrant  with  roses 
and  orange  flowers. 

When  I  left  Seville,  I  went  to  Granada,  the 
Moors'  Andalusia.  The  route  for  the  most  part  is 
through  a  wild  and  picturesque  country.  The 
city  is  attractively  located.  It  is  built  upon  four 
hills,  which  rise  to  the  height  of  two  thousand  two 
hundred  and  forty-five  feet.  These  hills  are  at 
the  extremity  of  an  extensive  and  beautiful  plain, 
green  with  all  kinds  of  fruit  and  vegetation.  It 
is  dotted  with  sparkling,  whitewashed  villas,  that 
resemble  so  many  sails.  There  is  much  in  Gra 
nada  to  interest  a  traveler,  the  palace  of  Charles  X., 
with  its  wonderful  gardens,  the  cathedral,  with  its 
royal  tombs,  the  old  city  streets,  full  of  Moorish 
antiquity,  and  the  Alhambra,  or  Moorish  palace. 
The  last  is  the  most  important  and  most  interest 
ing.  It  towers  above  the  town  on  a  broad  plateau 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  287 

upon  the  highest  of  the  four  hills.  It  is  sur 
rounded  by  beautiful  gardens,  which  are  woody. 
In  spring  they  are  full  of  sweet-scented  wild 
flowers,  which  numberless  streams  of  snow  water 
from  the  Sierra  Nevada  Mountains  keep  green  and 
blooming.  The  woods  of  these  gardens  are  of  a 
heavy  growth ;  the  deep  ravines,  well-built  roads, 
and  bridal  paths  twisting  in  all  directions,  make 
a  most  charming  resort  in  the  sultry  hours  of 
summer. 

I  will  speak  of  only  some  of  the  Alhambra's 
most  important  features.  It  was  built  by  the 
Moors  during  their  reign  of  nearly  eight  hundred 
years  in  Spain.  It  was  used  by  them  as  a  palace 
and  mosque  until  they  were  driven  from  Spain 
by  Ferdinand  and  Isabella  in  1492.  After  that 
it  was  occupied  by  the  Catholic  kings.  It  is  beau 
tifully  ornamented  with  sculpture  and  carvings. 
It  is  divided  into  halls,  courts,  recesses,  balconies, 
and  a  throne  room.  These  are  ornamented  with 
inlaid  work  of  blue  and  gold,  made  in  circles, 
crowns,  and  stars,  interwoven  with  flowers  and 
leaves.  The  court  of  lions  is  the  most  celebrated 
portion  of  the  palace.  It  is  an  oblong  of  one 
hundred  and  twenty-six  feet  in  length,  seventy- 
three  in  width,  and  twenty -two  feet  in  height.  It 
is  surrounded  by  a  low  gallery,  which  is  supported 
on  one  hundred  and  twenty-eight  white  marble 
columns.  A  pavilion  projects  into  the  court  at 
each  extremity,  elaborately  ornamented,  having 


288  LIFE    AND   TRAVELS    OF 

walls  of  filigree  work.  In  the  center  of  this  court 
is  the  famous  fountain  of  lions.  This  is  a  mag 
nificent  alabaster  basin  resting  on  the  backs  of 
twelve  lions  of  white  marble.  Their  manes  are 
cut  like  the  scales  of  a  fisii. 

All  through  the  East  the  lion  is  an  emblem  of 
strength  and  courage.  It  was  in  the  hall  of  the 
ambassadors  here  that  Columbus  made  his  arrange 
ments  with  the  court  of  Spain  to  start  on  his  voy 
age  of  the  discovery  of  America. 

I  went  to  the  top  of  the  watch  tower  in  the 
Alhambra  grounds,  where  an  extensive  view  can 
be  obtained  of  the  city  and  surrounding  country. 
At  my  feet  was  the  city,  while  beyond  it  the  plain 
stretches  for  thirty  miles  to  the  base  of  the  Sierra 
Nevada  Mountains.  This  plain  is  full  of  points 
of  historical  interest,  which  are  pointed  out  by  the 
guide. 

I  was  shown  the  place  where  Ferdinand  and 
Isabella  pitched  their  camp  during  the  conquest 
of  Granada.  It  was  across  this  plain  that  the 
Moors  took  their  melancholy  way,  and  from  the 
summit  of  a  distant  hill  turned  to  gaze  for  the 
last  time  at  the  scene  of  so  much  grandeur  and 
glory.  This  hill  still  bears  the  name  of  the  Last 
Sigh  of  the  Moor. 

From  Granada  I  went  to  Cordova,  another  city 
on  the  Guadalquivir.  It  was  held  by  the  Moors 
from  756  to  1236.  It  has  a  population  of  nearly 
fifty  thousand.  It  is  dull  now,  but  it  is  said  that 


JAMES  BATCHELDER.  289 

during  its  occupation  by  the  Moors  its  commerce 
extended  to  all  parts  of  the  civilized  world,  and 
its  inhabitants  numbered  a  million.  Of  its  an 
cient  greatness  the  city  retains  but  one  monu 
ment,  the  Moorish  mosque,  which  is  now  used  as 
a  Catholic  cathedral.  It  is  five  hundred  and  fifty 
feet  in  length  and  three  hundred  and  ninety  in 
width,  and  is  profusely  ornamented  with  colored 
marble.  It  is  divided  into  seventeen  naves  by 
twenty -seven  aisles,  and  is  covered  with  an  im 
mense  roof,  supported  by  eight  hundred  short 
columns  of  marble,  porphyry,  jasper,  and  other 
richly-colored  stones.  The  floor  is  in  mosaic,  and 
the  ceiling  is  richly  paneled  and  gilded. 

There  is  little  else  to  detain  a  traveler.  The 
town  is  dark  and  gloomy,  the  streets  narrow  and 
by  no  means  clean.  There  are  no  squares  or  pub 
lic  buildings  of  any  importance,  so  I  journeyed  on 
to  Madrid,  a  lively  place  of  wide  streets  and 
beautiful  buildings.  The  parks,  drives,  and 
plazas  are  not  much  surpassed  by  those  in  Paris 
or  London.  The  Park  of  the  Retiro  is  a  fashion 
able  drive  thronged  at  all  reasonable  hours  of  the 
day  with  equipages  that  would  do  no  discredit  to 
any  park  in  the  world.  In  the  evening  everybody 
is  out — entire  families,  officers  from  the  various 
barracks,  nursemaids  with  daintily-attired  chil 
dren,  flashily-dressed  girls  attended  by  their  admir 
ers — all  promenade  to  the  strains  of  music  rendered 
by  military  bands  that  play  every  evening  in  sum- 
19 


290  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS  OP 

mer.  The  varieties  of  uniforms  glowing  in  parts 
of  the  park  among  the  glittering  multitude  render 
the  scene  exceptionally  gorgeous. 

The  Prado  is  another  fine  drive  two  and  a  half 
miles  in  length,  with  profuse  foliage,  fountains, 
flowers,  and  fine  statuary.  It  has  monuments  of 
Columbus  and  Isabella.  It  is  also  a  promenade) 
and  the  best  place  in  Madrid  to  see  the  beauty  of 
the  city.  The  women  of  Spain  are  noted  for  their 
beauty  and  grace.  One  who  visits  this  spot  will 
see  all  classes,  from  the  aristocrat  to  the  peasant, 
who  have  come  for  a  short  time  to  the  capital. 
They  saunter  out  in  swarms  and  form  a  proces 
sion.  Many  of  the  women  use  mantillas  as  head 
dresses  for  street  wear,  but  the  custom  among 
fashionable  ladies  is  fast  changing  in  favor  of  the 
Parisian  hat. 

The  stranger  may  join  the  strollers,  or  for  a 
penny  is  allowed  to  occupy  one  of  the  thousand 
seats  that  are  placed  along  the  edge  of  the  prome 
nade,  and  observe  the  crowd  at  his  ease. 

The  Plaza  Mayor  is  lovely.  It  is  where  the  tri 
bunal  of  the  Inquisition  was  held  in  olden  times. 
When  the  victims  had  been  condemned,  they 
were  led  out  of  the  city  to  the  fateful  place  of  ex 
ecution  and  burned  at  the  stake.  It  is  believed 
that  not  fewer  than  half  a  million  of  the  best  peo 
ple  of  Spain  met  their  death  in  this  manner  dur 
ing  the  Inquisition. 

The  Puerta  del  Sol  (the  Path  of  the  Sun)  is  the 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  291 

chief  square  in  Madrid.  It  is  in  the  heart  of  the 
city,  and  is  the  central  point,  whence  all  the  prin 
cipal  streets  and  tramways  diverge.  Here  one 
sees  outdoor  life  in  all  its  glory.  The  royal  pal 
ace  is  an  immense  pile  of  buildings,  which,  includ 
ing  its  garden,  occupies  nearly  eight  acres. 

From  Madrid  I  went  to  Bordeaux,  in  France, 
and  thence  to  Paris.  In  crossing  the  frontier  of 
every  country  of  Europe  the  train  is  delayed 
nearly  an  hour;  our  baggage  is  taken  into  the 
station  and  laid  on  a  long  counter  to  be  opened 
for  inspection,  after  which  it  is  replaced  on  the 
train,  and  we  are  allowed  to  proceed. 

Spain  is  out  of  the  tourists'  beaten  track,  and  is 
not  visited  by  many;  but,  according  to  my  idea, 
there  is  more  fascination  in  a  trip  to  Spain  than 
to  any  other  European  country.  The  land  is 
beautiful;  the  habits  of  its  people  are  strange. 
There  is  not  much  to  see  along  this  route  that  an 
artist  would  be  likely  to  sketch  or  a  traveler  to 
remember. 

In  leaving  Spain  we  crossed  the  Pyrenees 
Mountains,  from  whose  summit  we  could  look 
down  upon  both  countries.  In  the  descent  the 
country  is  undulating,  with  peaceful  villages  here 
and  there.  Next,  long  stretches  of  unbroken 
plain  covered  with  pine  trees  are  met,  then  in  a  few 
hours  Bordeaux  is  reached. 

This  is  a  large  city,  charmingly  situated  on  the 
banks  of  the  Garonne,  seventy  miles  inland.  It 


292  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

is  a  large  shipping  port  crowded  with  vessels  from 
every  part  of  the  world.  It  has  also  a  large  wine 
industry.  There  is  not  much  to  detain  a  stranger, 
so  I  left  for  Paris. 

I  had  been  in  Paris  seven  years  before.  Almost 
the  only  thing  I  could  discover  that  I  had  not 
seen  before  was  the  Eiffel  Tower,  which  had  been 
built  in  the  meantime.  It  stands  on  the  bank  of 
the  Seine  one  thousand  feet  high  and  three  hun 
dred  feet  square  at  the  base.  At  each  corner 
there  are  pillars  fifty  feet  square  of  iron  lattice 
work  supported  by  open  curved  arches  slanting 
inward  as  they  rise  to  a  distance  of  six  hundred 
feet  from  the  ground.  From  this  point  four  sim 
ilar  pillars  continue  to  the  top.  There  are  several 
large  assembly  rooms  at  different  heights.  The 
first  of  these  is  an  immense  hall  two  hundred  and 
thirty  feet  from  the  base.  It  is  used  as  a  prome 
nade  and  restaurant.  Still  further  up  is  a  second 
gallery  nearly  one  hundred  feet  square.  This 
was  the  highest  point  I  reached,  and  from  it  an 
extensive  panorama  is  spread  out  before  the  eye. 
Just  below  lies  the  great  city,  with  its  innumera 
ble  monuments,  its  avenues,  towers,  and  domes, 
with  the  Seine  winding  through  it  like  a  long 
ribbon  of  steel.  Farther  on  the  green  circle  of 
hills  which  surround  the  city  is  in  plain  view. 
The  whole  forms  a  picture  of  incomparable  love 
liness. 

Later  I  went  to  Antwerp,  in   Belgium,  and  re- 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  293 

mained  a  few  days.  During  that  time  I  took  a 
trip  of  one  day  to  Brussels.  I  had  spent  several 
days  in  that  city  on  my  other  visit.  Antwerp  is 
delightful  and  abounds  in  richly-stocked  mu 
seums,  art  galleries,  fine  churches,  parks,  gardens, 
wide  streets,  and  beautiful  promenades.  I  will 
omit  a  description  of  these,  and  pass  on  to  Hol 
land,  a  queer  old  country  of  canals,  dikes,  and 
windmills. 

All  the  land  of  Holland  is  very  low;  in  some 
places  it  is  below  the  sea  level  at  high  tide.  In 
order  to  keep  these  waters  within  bounds,  im 
mense  dikes  have  been  constructed,  which  are 
composed  of  earth  and  sand.  They  are  wide  and 
dotted  with  houses  and  windmills,  and  have  good 
roads  along  the  top,  which  are  ornamented  with 
avenues  of  trees.  There  is  no  natural  flow  to 
wards  the  sea,  so  unless  the  rainfall  is  removed 
by  artificial  means,  it  would  soon  cover  the  entire 
country.  By  the  use  of  pumps  and  other  hy 
draulic  apparatus,  the  water  is  emptied  into 
canals,  from  which  it  runs  toward  the  sea.  Hence 
the  multitude  of  windmills  and  canals  which 
characterize  every  Dutch  landscape. 

The  only  city  I  visited  in  Holland  was  Amster 
dam,  011  the  Amstel.  It  is  built  upon  ninety-five 
islands,  which  are  connected  by  more  than  three 
hundred  bridges.  The  buildings  all  rest  on 
foundations  of  piles.  From  almost  any  point  in 
the  city  one  can  see  innumerable  windmills,  a 


294  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

network  of  canals  and  bridges,  also  houses,  ships, 
and  people.  The  canals  are  all  bordered  with 
elm  trees,  which  give  them  a  refreshing  appear 
ance.  The  bridge  across  the  Amstel  is  a  fine 
structure,  with  thirty-five  stone  arches.  The  city 
has  famous  botanical  and  zoological  gardens.  Its 
museums  and  art  galleries  are  excellent.  The 
royal  palace  is  the  finest  building.  It  is  situated 
on  the  Dam,  one  of  the  largest  squares  in  that 
place.  The  interior  is  elegant ;  its  banquet  room 
is  one  of  the  largest  in  Europe.  It  is  one  hun 
dred  and  twenty  feet  long,  sixty  feet  broad,  and 
one  hundred  feet  high. 

The  industry  of  diamond  cutting  is  carried  on 
quite  extensively  and  supplies  work  to  ten  thou 
sand  artisans.  There  are  many  short  excursions 
of  interest  that  can  be  made  from  Amsterdam. 
Some  of  these  places  are  off  the  ordinary  line  of 
travel,  and  changes  have  not  come,  so  the  genuine 
old-fashioned  style  of  living  is  still  to  be  seen  in 
them.  I  made  one  of  these  to  the  island  of  Marken, 
in  the  Zuyder  Zee,  thirty  miles  from  Amsterdam. 
It  is  inhabited  by  fishermen.  They  use  implements 
and  wear  costumes  which  have  retained  the  same 
styles  for  ages.  On  account  of  the  picturesqueness 
of  their  dress,  Marken  has  become  a  sort  of  show- 
place. 

My  next  stopping  place  was  Hamburg,  situated 
on  the  lower  Elbe,  and  having  a  population  of 
four  hundred  thousand.  It  has  a  commodious 


JAMES   BATCHELDER. 


295 


harbor,  where  numerous  ships  from  all  quarters 
of  the  globe  lie.     The  quays   stretch   along   the 
Elbe  for  a  distance  of  five  miles.     Hamburg   is 
comparatively  a  modem  city,  on  account  of  the 
fire   in  1842,  which  destroyed  a  quarter  of  the 
buildings.     Since  then  very  extensive  additions 
and  alterations  in  some  of  the  quaintest  streets 
of  the  city  have  been  carried  out.     This  accounts 
for  its  thoroughly  new   aspect   and   for   the   al 
most   entire  disappearance  of  all   relics   of    the 
past.     There  are,  however,  still  many  handsome 
residences  of  merchants  of  the  seventeenth  and 
eighteenth  centuries.     The  city  has  many  pleas 
ant  promenades,  gardens,  and  much  fine  statuary. 
The  environs  of  Hamburg  are  delightful,  being 
sprinkled  with  country  houses,  gardens,  and  parks 
in  every  direction. 

When  I  had  completed  my  visit  at  Hamburg, 
I  went  to  Copenhagen.  The  route  is  by  rail  to 
Keil,  thence  by  steamer  to  Korsor,  Zealand,  where 
a  connection  is  made  with  the  direct  train  to 
Copenhagen.  It  is  a  lovely  ride.  The  country  is 
perfectly  level.  Highly  cultivated  wheat  fields 
and  immense  dairies  abound.  At  intervals 
quaint  cottages  with  their  small  patches  of  well- 
kept  gardens  are  to  be  seen. 

Copenhagen,  the  capital  of  Denmark,  is  situated 
on  the  island  of  Zealand.  It  has  a  population  of 
three  hundred  and  fifty  thousand.  It  is  one  of 
the  cleanest  and  prettiest  cities  in  Europe.  It  is 


296 


LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 


called  the  Athens  of  the  North,  on  account  of  its 
advanced  state  of  art  and  literature.  Its  parks 
and  gardens  are  not  excelled  anywhere  in  Eu 
rope.  It  abounds  in  museums,  theaters,  and  art 
galleries.  The  Tivoli  Garden  is  its  most  charm 
ing  place  of  resort;  it  is  very  large,  and  con 
tains  a  lake,  upon  whose  waters  are  several  small 
boats  used  by  pleasure  seekers,  and  moored  to  its 
shore  is  a  large  ship  used  as  a  cafe.  This  ship  is 
tastefully  decorated  and  is  usually  filled  with  a 
gay  throng.  There  are  also  within  the  gardens 
five  or  six  concert  pavilions.  Besides  other  at 
tractions,  there  is  a  structure  made  of  wood  in  the 
form  of  a  beer  bottle.  It  is  one  hundred  feet 
high  and  people  go  to  the  top  of  it  in  an  elevator. 
The  cage  holds  eight  persons;  when  it  reaches  the 
top  of  the  bottle's  neck,  it  forms  the  cork. 

Within  the  city  are  several  canals,  four  large 
lakes,  and  many  small  ones.  There  are  also 
springs  which  continually  give  forth  most  excel 
lent  water.  The  city  is  laid  out  on  a  grand  scale. 
The  wide,  winding  avenues  are  bordered  with 
beech  trees.  Some  of  these  avenues  have  a  prom 
enade  in  the  center  wide  enough  for  eight  persons 
to  walk  abreast.  On  either  side  is  a  space  eight 
feet  wide  for  equestrians,  and  there  is  still  room 
for  four  car  tracks  on  both  sides.  Then  comes 
the  sidewalk.  Near  the  middle  of  the  city  is  a 
large  irregular  space  called  King's  New  Market, 
from  which  thirteen  of  the  business  streets  radiate 


JAMES    BATCHELDEB.  297 

In  the  center  rises  an  equestrian  statue  of  Chris 
tian  V.  It  is  cast  in  lead  and  is  called  Hesten, 
meaning  The  Horse. 

Severable  enjoyable  excursions  can  be  made  in 
the  neighborhood.  I  made  one  to  Dyrehave,  or 
Deer  Park,  a  grand  old  forest  of  oaks  and  beeches. 
It  is  the  largest  park  in  the  world;  the  inclosure 
contains  four  thousand  two  hundred  acres,  divided 
by  a  small  river.  Rich  corn  fields,  green  pastures, 
country  houses,  and  villages  surround  the  park. 
It  is  a  favorite  retreat  for  all  classes  in  summer. 
The  dress  of  the  peasant  women  is  very  becoming. 
Large  groups  of  deer  are  frequently  seen  in  these 
woods. 

From  Copenhagen  1  went  to  Christiania,  in  Nor 
way.  The  steamer  carries  the  mail  and  stops  at 
most  of  the  villages  along  the  coast.  Sometimes 
the  open  sea  is  encountered,  but  the  route  is  gen 
erally  between  the  islands.  The  water  varies 
from  deep,  narrow  channels,  one  hundred  feet 
wide,  running  among  ugly-looking,  almost  per 
pendicular  rocks,  to  wide,  expansive  stretches  of 
water,  miles  across.  In  going  up  the  Christiania 
Fiord  the  scenery  varies  suddenly  from  that  of 
the  rugged,  barren  coast.  Here  it  is  charming 
in  the  highest  degree.  Gradually  sloping  hills, 
which  now  and  then  swell  into  mountains  of 
moderate  height,  meet  the  view  on  either  side. 
These  undulations  are  generally  covered  with 
pine  or  birch,  and,  as  the  day  advances,  they  as- 


LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

sume  the  deepest  purple,  by  which  the  pastures 
form  a  striking  contrast  with  their  soft  green. 
All  along  the  fiord  are  numerous  villas,  whither 
at  this  season  of  the  year  the  inhabitants  of  Chris- 
tiania take  their  families.  Christiania  is  pretty,  and 
is  pleasantly  situated  at  the  north  end  of  the  Chris 
tiania  Fiord.  It  is  the  capital  of  Norway,  and  has 
about  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  inhabitants. 
It  is  noted  for  the  grandeur  and  beauty  of  its  sur 
roundings,  as  well  as  for  the  size  and  elegance  of 
its  streets  and  public  buildings.  The  most  note 
worthy  of  its  edifices  are  the  Royal  Palace,  the 
University,  and  the  House  of  Parliament. 

The  Royal  Palace  is  situated  on  an  eminence 
in  the  western  part  of  the  city.  The  grounds  are 
nicely  laid  out  and  command  an  excellent  view 
of  the  town,  the  fiord,  and  its  numerous  islands. 
These  grounds  are  very  extensive,  with  shady 
walks  and  seats  open  to  the  public.  Many  pleas 
urable  excursions  can  be  made  in  the  suburbs. 
One  is  to  St.  John's  Hill,  an  attractively  laid-out 
eminence  two  hundred  and  eighty  feet  high. 
There  is  a  reservoir  on  its  summit  belonging  to 
the  city  water  works.  An  ornamental  structure, 
with  a  lofty  tower  which  is  visible  for  miles,  is 
built  upon  it.  From  the  top  of  this  is  a  most  en 
chanting  panorama  of  mountains,  trees,  water, 
and  buildings,  which  unite  in  making  a  grand 
masterpiece  of  art  and  nature  that  would  be  diffi 
cult  to  describe  adequately. 


JAMES    BATCHELDER. 


299 


Another  pleasant  ramble  which  I  made  was  to 
Oscar's  Hall,  a   chateau    which    was   erected  for 
Oscar  I.  as  a  holiday  residence  about  forty  years 
ago.     The  mansion, being  painted  white  and  being 
situated  on  an  eminence  of  eighty  feet  in  height, 
may  be  seen  for  miles.     It   is  surrounded  by  a 
pleasant  park.     The  interior  of  the  castle  is  noted 
for  choice  paintings,  the  works  of  celebrated  Nor 
wegian  artists.     There  is  a  series  of  paintings  in 
the  dining  room,  ten  in  number,  representing  the 
stages  in  life  from  childhood  to  old  age.     There 
are  also  some  fine  old  carvings.     One  large  cabi 
net  made  in    1637  must  be  of  immense   value. 
There  are  quantities  of  curiosities,  but  space  for 
bids  a  detailed  description. 

Near  this  palace  is  an  ancient  church  with  high 
wooden  columns  stenciled  in  a  peculiar  manner. 
It  has  carved  trusses  supporting  the  roof.     About 
the   church    are   a  number  of  low-built    houses. 
Inside  of  these  can  be  seen  the  furniture  and  arti 
cles  for  domestic  purposes  that  were  used  two  or 
three   hundred    years   ago— wooden  jugs,  punch 
bowls,  bedsteads,  and  a  variety  of  skin  clothing. 
While  I  was  in  Christiania,  Emperor  William,  of 
Germany,  arrived  with  a  fleet  of  ten  line  of  battle 
ships  and  two  steam   yachts.     A   grand  display 
was   made   when   they    sailed   into    the    harbor. 
First  came  four  Norwegian  torpedo  boats,  as  if  to 
clear  the  way.     Following  these  were  two  lines  of 
battle  ships  a  few  hundred  yards  apart.     Around 


300  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

these  were  more  than  sixty  steamboats,  all  gaily 
decorated  with  evergreens  and  bunting,  laden 
with  passengers  who  had  gone  out  to  meet  the 
Kaiser.  The  entire  length  of  the  quays  was  lined 
with  a  most  ordinary  assemblage  of  people  dressed 
in  their  best. 

A  tasteful  pavilion  had  been  erected  near  the 
landing  place.  It  was  adorned  with  gigantic 
German  eagles  in  gold  and  beautiiied  with  flowers 
and  greens.  The  streets  along  the  route  to  the 
royal  palace  were  likewise  decorated  and  crowded 
with  people. 

Soon  King  Oscar,  of  Norway  and  Sweden,  ac 
companied  by  the  emperor,  rode  past  in  the  court 
carriage,  drawn  by  six  beautiful  black  horses. 
There  were  other  carriages,  drawn  by  splendid 
teams  of  four,  filled  with  court  officials  and  other 
officers  in  brilliant  uniforms-  They  passed  amidst 
the  thundering  of  cannon  and  the  cheers  of  the 
multitude.  It  seemed  difficult  to  think  of  anything 
equaling  the  enthusiasm  of  the  people  and  the  en 
tire  success  of  the  day's  pageant.  It  was  a  general 
holiday,  the  shops  and  other  houses  of  business 
being  closed.  The  city  was  crowded  with  visitors 
from  the  country.  The  gay  dresses  of  the  peas 
ants  are  very  striking.  The  headdress  is  usually 
black  with  red  binding  and  two  bright-colored 
ribbons  behind.  The  jackets  are  of  the  Garibaldi 
style,  with  what  I  think  the  ladies  call  bishop 
sleeves.  A  handkerchief  is  worn  around  the  neck. 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  301 

It  is  brilliant  in  color,  and  the  two  ends  that  cross 
on  the  breast  are  pinned  with  a  kind  of  brooch 
which  looks  like  silver.  Over  this  a  small  bow  of 
green  ribbon  with  flowers  is  worn. 

The  most  attractive  part  of  the  costume  is  the 
skirt.  It  is  of  navy  blue  with  a  scarlet  band 
around  the  top  and  bottom.  The  front  width  is 
one  mass  of  strips  of  scarlet,  white,  orange,  black, 
and  green.  Low  shoes  and  scarlet  stockings  are 
worn  with  this. 

The  next  place  of  interest  that  I  visited  was 
Stockholm.  From  the  train  numerous  small 
lakes,  swift  running  streams,  large  forests  of  beech 
and  maple,  green  valleys,  where  at  intervals  are 
nestled  hamlets  or  solitary  farmhouses,  and  some 
times  a  small  town  with  a  church  and  a  hotel,  can 
be  seen. 

Stockholm,  surnamed  the  Venice  of  the  North, 
is  the  capital  of  Sweden.  It  is  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  cities  in  the  world.  It  is  situated  at  the 
influx  of  Lake  Malaren  into  an  arm  of  the  Baltic 
Sea.  It  is  built  upon  nine  islands.  Being  sur 
rounded  by  islands  and  water  in  almost  every 
direction,  and  having  plains  and  rocky  hills,  it  is 
exceedingly  picturesque.  All  of  these  islands  are 
connected  by  bridges.  Communication  between 
different  parts  of  the  city  and  the  suburbs  is 
maintained  by  means  of  numerous  small  steam 
ferryboats,  which  run  in  all  directions  at  inter 
vals  of  nearly  three  minutes. 


302  LIFE    ANI}   TRAVELS    OF 

The  city  has  many  historical  monuments  and 
museums,  as  well  as  very  extensive  collections  of 
art  works.  The  parks  are  noteworthy  on  account 
of  their  monuments,  fountains,  choice  trees,  shrubs, 
and  flowers.  Bands  play  in  many  of  them  dur 
ing  the  summer  months.  Under  the  shade  of  the 
trees  are  seats  and  tables  for  the  hundreds  who 
take  refreshments  there. 

One  of  the  great  sights  is  a  church,  which  is  the 
royal  mausoleum.  It  has  not  been  used  for  di 
vine  service  since  1807.  The  floor  is  literally 
paved  with  memorials  of  the  illustrious  heroes 
and  statesmen  of  the  past.  Here  repose  the  mor 
tal  remains  of  the  much-honored  Gustavus  Adol- 
phus,  the  champion  of  the  Lutheran  Protestant 
Church.  The  following  is  the  inscription  on  the 
slab:  "He  braved  dangers,  loved  piety,  overcame 
his  enemies,  enlarged  his  dominion,  exalted  his 
nation,  and  triumphed  in  death." 

The  country  in  the  vicinity  is  very  picturesque. 
Surrounding  the  city  is  an  immense  fertile  plain, 
diversified  by  dark  forests,  which  contrast  with 
the  bright  green  meadows  and  the  yellow  stubble 
of  the  fields.  The  forests  in  the  distance  form 
a  majestic  setting  to  this  gay  living  picture.  In 
whichever  direction  the  eye  turns,  no  matter  what 
the  elevation  may  be,  the  horizon  is  mysterious 
with  the  ocean  or  the  woods.  One  can  leave  the 
quays  in  any  of  the  countless  little  steamboats, 
and  in  ten  minutes  be  able  to  stand  where  he  can 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  303 

scarcely  find  a  trace  of  cultivation,  but  probably 
some  old  tower  in  the  woods  will  testify  to  the 
presence  of  an  ancient  royal  hunting  lodge. 

On  leaving  Stockholm  I  went  to  St.  Petersburg 
by  steamer.  It  is  an  interesting  journey  and 
takes  three  days.  From  the  time  we  left  Stock 
holm  until  Helsingfors  was  reached,  we  were 
among  a  multitude  of  islands;  first,  those  that 
are  near  the  coast  of  Sweden,  then  the  Alends. 
After  leaving  these  we  were  soon  among  those 
that  line  the  coast  of  Finland.  The  Alend  Islands 
number  about  three  hundred.  Some  of  them  are 
inhabited.  The  others  are  desolate  and  rocky, 
upon  which  are  a  few  pine  trees. 

Our  first  landing  place  was  at  Abo,  in  Finland. 
This  is  a  town  of  considerable  importance  and 
was  the  ancient  capital  of  Finland.  The  Russian 
Government  has  now  moved  the  capital  to  Hel 
singfors.  From  Abo  the  steamer  runs  for  miles 
along  a  rocky  shore.  A  few  hours  before  arriving 
at  Helsingfors  we  passed  through  a  strait  seven 
miles  long.  In  most  places  it  is  no  wider  than  a 
canal,  and  its  shores  are  edged  with  fir,  birch,  and 
alder.  Between  these  trees  we  catch  glimpses  of 
fertile  fields  and  pretty  farmhouses  painted  red 
or  yellow7. 

After  leaving  this  strait  we  came  into  a  broad 
bay,  at  the  extremity  of  w^hich  lies  the  city  of 
Helsingsfors.  The  view  on  nearing  this  city  is 
lovely.  To  the  left  there  is  a  suburb  of  pictur- 


304  LIFE   AND   TRAVELS   OF 

esque  villas  grouped  on  a  rocky  height,  while  at 
the  right  a  neck  of  land  juts  into  the  sea,  on  which 
are  some  handsome  buildings.  Farther  on  is  the 
Greek  Church,  which  is  very  imposing.  It  stands 
on  a  hill  and  is  built  of  brick  in  the  usual  style 
of  Greek  Churches.  It  has  a  large  gilt  dome,  sur 
mounted  by  a  Greek  cross,  and  surrounded  by 
thirteen  smaller  domes,  which  are  also  of  gilt. 
The  roof  is  painted  white,  which  gives  the  build 
ing  the  appearance  of  having  been  visited  by  a 
snowstorm. 

Still  farther  on  is  the  tower,  with  its  row  of  white 
and  yellow  buildings,  bright  and  clean,  running 
along  the  quays.  These  quays  command  the  ad 
miration  of  all  who  see  them. 

There  is  a  great  variety  of  races  and  languages 
amongst  the  inhabitants  of  this  city.  It  is  most 
striking  at  the  market  place,  where  business  brings 
them  together.  There  are  Swedish  fishermen  in 
their  sailor  clothes,  Finns  with  their  short  cloaks, 
Russian  soldiers  wearing  long  gray  overcoats,  and 
many  are  in  the  peasant  style  of  dress  of  the  last 
century. 

The  next  place  we  visited  was  Wiborg,  one  of 
the  chief  towns  of  Finland.  It  was  taken  from 
the  Swedes  by  Peter  the  Great  in  1710,  since 
which  time  it  has  belonged  to  Russia.  The  town 
contains  twenty  thousand  inhabitants  besides  five 
thousand  soldiers.  It  is  spread  over  a  wide  plain 
and  surrounded  by  rivers  and  canals. 


JAMES   BATCHELDER. 


305 


As  we  steamed  along  the  Gulf  of  Finland,  the 
dome  of  St.  Isaac's  Church  was  visible  long  be 
fore  we  reached  St.  Petersburg.  After  a  sail  of 
nearly  eight  hours  from  Wiborg,  the  steamer 
comes  to  Cronstadt,  and,  passing  its  docks,  filled 
with  shipping,  arrives  in  another  hour  at  the  city 
of  St.  Petersburg. 


20 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

CONCLUSION  OF   SECOND    TRIP  AROUND    THE  WORLD. 

ft 

HE  Government  of  Russia  being  an  abso 
lute  monarchy,  all  power  emanates  from 
the  czar.  He  has  no  advisers  and  exer 
cises  complete  control  over  the  lives  and  property 
of  his  subjects.  Of  course  the  visitor  sees  but 
little  of  the  yoke  that  the  country  is  under.  Pass 
ports  are  a  matter  of  first  importance  to  the  trav 
eler  in  Russia,  not  because  people  are  halted 
on  the  street  to  show  their  passports,  nor  because 
the  police  line  the  streets  and  are  waiting  for 
strangers  at  every  corner,  as  is  currently  supposed, 
but  it  is  impossible  to  get  in  or  out  of  Russia,  or 
to  obtain  food  or  lodging  when  one  is  there,  with 
out  them.  The  police  know  very  well  that 
strangers  have  their  passports  or  they  would  not 
be  in  Russia.  I  procured  mine  at  Washington, 
and  before  leaving  Stockholm  had  it  vised  by  the 
Russian  Consul.  Long  before  reaching  St.  Peters 
burg  the  captain  takes  the  passport  and  holds  it 
(306) 


JAMES    BATCHELDEK.  307 

until  the  Russian  officers  come  on  board.  It  is 
taken  by  them  and  turned  over  to  the  police 
bureau  at  the  pier  in  St.  Petersburg,  where  the 
baggage  is  examined.  The  traveler  passes  through 
the  bureau  and  receives  the  pass  again. 

It  is  given  to  the  hotel  proprietor,  who  seems 
to  be  in  some  measure  responsible  for  his  guests. 
The  visitor  is  then  permitted  to  register,  and  the 
number  of  his  room  is  written  on  his  passport. 
It  is  next  sent  to  the  police  headquarters  and  re 
turned  in  a  day  or  two.  One  is  obliged  to  pay  a 
small  fee  when  he  receives  it  again.  If  the  police 
are  not  satisfied  with  the  passport,  they  will  send 
for  the  visitor,  question  him  closely,  and  permit 
him  to  stay  or  not  as  they  are  impressed  with  his 
story  and  appearance.  If  one  wishes  to  change  his 
room  or  hotel,  he  must  notify  the  police  and  state 
what  change  has  been  made.  It  will  thus  be  seen 
that  the  police  know  where  every  stranger  in 
Russia  can  be  found  at  any  time.  The  same 
formalities  must  be  observed  with  regard  to  the 
hotels  in  every  town  of  Russia.  When  one  wishes 
to  leave  the  country,  permission  must  be  obtained 
from  the  police  at  the  town  where  the  passports 
were  last  handed  in.  Even  the  inhabitants  are 
not  allowed  to  go  more  than  fifteen  miles  from 
home  without  a  permit  from  the  police. 

St.  Petersburg,  the  modern  capital  of  Russia, 
has  a  population  of  about  a  million.  It  was 
founded  by  Peter  the  Great  in  1703,  amid  the 


308  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

marshes  though  which  the  Neva  River  discharges 
its  waters  into  the  sea.  It  is  the  strangest  place 
ever  chosen  for  a  city.  The  obstinate  will  of  this 
man  sought  to  dispense  with  all  natural  advan 
tages.  It  is  said  he  selected  it  as  being  a  window 
looking  out  upon  Europe.  But  surely  a  site 
might  have  been  found  with  as  good  an  outlook 
which  would  be  a  less  desolate  and  fatal  position. 

Between  forty  and  fifty  thousand  peasants  were 
forced  to  work  for  many  years  before  a  firm  foun 
dation  for  the  city  could  be  completed.  During 
this  time  every  conveyance  approaching  the  city, 
whether  by  sea  or  land,  was  required  to  bring 
a  certain  number  of  stone  to  be  used  in  filling  up 
the  holes  and  paving  the  streets. 

There  are  several  beautiful  palaces  in  St.  Peters 
burg,  belonging  to  the  royal  families.  The  most 
important  is  the  Winter  palace,  a  vast  pile  of  im 
posing  buildings  situated  on  the  banks  of  the 
Neva.  The  interior  is  divided  into  suites  of  splen 
did  halls,  audience  chambers,  drawing  rooms,  etc. 
The  walls  and  ceilings  are  brilliantly  ornamented 
with  gold  and  silver,  and  are  in  some  instances 
set  with  precious  stones.  The  walls  are  also  hung 
with  beautiful  oil  paintings,  representing  battle 
scenes,  executed  by  the  best  artists,  including 
some  of  the  old  masters.  All  this,  with  the  plate 
of  beaten  gold,  which  has  belonged  to  the  em 
perors  from  Peter  the  Great  to  the  one  of  the 
present,  the  marbles,  malachites,  vases,  and  gilt 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  309 

furniture,  produces  an  enchanting  effect.  The 
crown  jewels,  some  of  the  finest  gems  in  Europe, 
are  here.  One  of  them,  the  famous  Orloff  dia 
mond,  is  the  largest  crown  diamond  in  Europe. 
It  weighs  one  hundred  and  ninety-four  and  three- 
fourths  carats,  and  has  a  history.  It  now  sur 
mounts  Russia's  imperial  scepter. 

The  imperial  crown  is  set  with  more  than  forty 
diamonds,  of  immense  size  and  great  purity,  an 
exquisite  ruby,  and  a  very  large  sapphire.  The 
coronet  of  the  empress  is  perhaps  the  finest  Euro 
pean  collection  of  diamonds  set  in  a  single  orna 
ment.  There  is  also  a  handsome  necklace  con 
taining  thirty-seven  brilliants  of  the  first  water. 
It  was  presented  to  the  Russian  emperor  by  the 
son  of  the  shah  of  Persia  when  he  visited  the  Rus 
sian  court.  There  are  also  other  ornaments  and 
gems  here  which  in  point  of  beauty  and  size  are 
worthy  to  keep  them  company. 

In  this  building  is  the  death  chamber  of  Em 
peror  Nicholas  I.,  who  died  March  2,  1855.  The 
room  is  void  of  the  luxury  or  even  ease  that  usu 
ally  attends  the  earthly  career  of  crowned  heads. 
His  sword,  helmet,  and  military  cloak  lie  where 
he  left  them. 

The  Hermitage  is  connected  with  the  Winter 
Palace  by  several  galleries.  It  was  built  by  Cath 
erine  II.,  but  is  now  used  as  a  museum  and  pic 
ture  gallery.  Many  consider  that  this  edifice 
stands  alone  in  Europe  for  the  elegant  solidity  of 


310  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

its  form  and  the  costliness  of  its  material.  Its 
dimensions  are  vast.  The  vestibule,  hall,  and 
marble  staircase  are  grand.  Every  pillar  and 
monolith  are  of  Finland  granite.  The  picture 
gallery  equals  in  extent  the  largest  in  Europe,  and 
contains  pictures  by  Rubens,  Van  Dyck,  Murillo, 
Raphael,  Titian,  and  other  of  the  old  masters. 

There  are  numerous  pieces  of  beautiful  statu 
ary  by  Michael  Angelo  and  others.  My  limited 
space  will  not  allow  me  to  speak  of  the  thousands 
of  interesting  objects  which  help  to  form  the  col 
lection  at  the  Hermitage.  This  accumulation 
can  compare  in  variety,  size,  and  value  with  any 
other  in  the  world. 

In  Russia  religion  governs  the  whole  life  as 
well  as  the  heart  of  the  popular  classes,  and  holds 
sway  at  least  over  the  exterior  habits  of  the  upper 
classes.  They  all  bow,  cross  their  breasts,  some 
times  kneel  and  kiss  the  pavement  when  they 
pass  any  of  the  many  chapels  that  are  to  be  found 
along  the  public  thoroughfares.  In  many  cases 
religion  appears  to  be  only  a  uniform,  but  all 
wear  it,  for  etiquette  requires  it. 

One  of  St.  Petersburg's  most  beautiful  churches 
is  St.  Isaac's  Cathedral.  An  idea  of  its  proportions 
and  cost  may  be  formed  when  it  is  known  that 
the  foundation,  partly  because  of  the  marshy  na 
ture  of  the  soil  on  which  it  is  built,  cost  more  than 
a  million  dollars.  Its  form  is  that  of  a  Greek 
cross  with  four  principal  entrances.  It  is  a  colos- 


JAMES   BATCHELDER.  311 

sal  building,  of  granite,  marble,  and  gold.  It  has 
an  immense  cupola  of  copper  overlaid  with  gold, 
which  is  supported  by  thirty  very  large  pillars  of 
polished  granite.  From  the  summit  of  this  rises 
a  smaller  cupola  of  the  same  design  surmounted 
by  a  large  cross.  The  larger  cupola  is  surrounded 
by  four  similar  smaller  ones. 

The  steps  are  of  porphyry,  the  walls  of  lapis  la 
zuli;  the  floor  is  variegated  marble,  and  the  dome 
is  made  of  malachite.  All  this  is  magnificently 
gilded.  Everything  in  this  elegant  structure  is 
made  of  the  most  costly  material.  Distributed 
through  the  church  are  images  of  the  Virgin  and 
of  many  saints.  There  are  also  many  small 
shrines,  before  which  are  silver  stands  covered 
with  tapers  that  are  constantly  burning.  Streams 
of  worshipers  cross  themselves  over  the  breast 
with  the  thumb  and  two  fingers  of  the  right  hand, 
bow  the  knee,  touch  the  floor  with  their  foreheads, 
and  then  pass  on  to  make  room  for  others.  At 
the  back  of  the  church  is  a  very  tall  window. 
On  it  is  painted  Christ  enthroned  in  gold  and 
purple,  his  right  hand  raised  as  if  in  benediction. 
There  are  numerous  huge  garlands  of  gilded  an 
gels,  and  a  wealth  of  all  kinds  of  ornaments,  that 
glitter  magnificently  in  the  dim  light  of  the  inte 
rior. 

Another  of  these  fine  churches  is  the  Cathedral 
of  St.  Petersburg,  dedictated  to  Our  Lady  of  Ka 
zan.  This  is  also  built  in  the  form  of  a  cross. 


312  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

This  building  cost  $3,000,000.  Inside  is  a  col 
onnade  of  fifty-six  columns,  which  support  a 
cupola  of  Finland  granite.  The  image  of  Our 
Lady  of  Kazan  was  placed  in  this  church  in  1821. 
It  had  been  brought  from  Kazan.  It  is  covered 
with  jewels.  One  of  the  diamonds  in  her  crown 
is  of  fabulous  value.  It  has  also  an  immense 
sapphire.  As  the  Greek  religion  does  not  permit 
idols  in  its  places  of  worship,  the  votaries  adorn 
their  Madonnas  and  other  holy  pictures  with  jew 
elry  and  finery. 

The  cathedral  resembles  an  arsenal  more  than 
a  place  of  worship.  Military  trophies  taken  from 
various  nations  in  Europe  are  hung  on  every  side. 
One  sees  Turkish  standards,  French  colors,  and 
the  keys  of  surrendered  cities. 

Space  permits  me  to  speak  of  only  one  more  of 
these  churches.  The  Cathedral  of  St.  Peter  and 
St.  Paul  was  founded  by  Peter  the  Great  in  1703. 
It  contains  the  mortal  remains  of  all  the  emper 
ors  and  empresses  of  Russia  from  Peter  the  Great 
to  the  late  emperor,  with  the  exception  of  Peter 
the  Second,  who  died  in  Moscow  and  was  buried 
there. 

The  side  aisles  are  taken  up  with  white  marble 
tombs  that  mark  the  sites  of  the  graves.  All  are 
adorned  with  gold  crosses,  gold  corners,  and 
splendid  funeral  accessories,  and  surrounded  by 
palm  trees  and  other  growing  plants  and  flowers 
that  bloom  in  the  faint  light  of  innumerable 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  313 

burning  tapers  and  lamps.  This  church  is  also 
somewhat  of  an  arsenal,  its  walls  being  decked 
with  flags,  standards,  and  other  trophies  of  war 
taken  from  the  French,  Poles,  Turks,  Swedes,  and 
Persians.  Among  the  many  keys  of  captured 
cities  are  those  of  Paris. 

The  most  beautiful  street  in  the  city  is  the 
Nevskoi  Prospekt,  It  is  three  miles  long  and 
more  than  one  hundred  feet  wide.  At  one  end 
stand  the  admiralty  buildings,  which  are  sur 
rounded  by  gardens  full  of  trees  and  bright  flow 
ers.  By  crossing  the  garden  one  reaches  the 
pontoon  bridge  which  spans  the  Neva.  From 
this  bridge  the  panorama  of  St.  Petersburg  lay 
before  my  eyes  in  all  its  splendor  and  greatness. 

In  every  direction  one  sees  churches,  palaces, 
huge  architectural  masses,  long  lines  of  massive 
granite  quays,  bridges,  canals  laden  with  barges, 
steamers,  islands,  rivers,  small  lakes,  and  parks 
having  little  groves,  grassy  lawns,  statuary,  and 
flowers.  This  affords  a  fine  example  of  what  may 
be  done  with  a  marsh. 

On  the  bank  of  the  river  stands  a  hut  of  wood 
now  encased  in  a  stone  house.  It  was  the  first 
habitation  built  by  Peter  the  Great,  in  1703. 
He  occupied  it  while  overseeing  the  construction 
of  his  new  city.  It  is  a  poor,  one-story  house,  hav 
ing  but  two  rooms  and  a  kitchen.  One  of  these 
is  fitted  up  as  a  chapel.  People  congregate  there 
for  prayer. 


314  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

Peter  is  regarded  as  a  saint  by  the  populace; 
indeed,  all  the  Russian  emperors  are  looked  upon 
by  the  peasantry  as  more  than  human,  but  Peter 
is  the  most  revered  of  all.  Everything  which  has 
belonged  to  him  is  kept  with  superstitious  venera 
tion.  The  furniture  in  this  building  is  of  his 
own  making.  The  tools  with  which  he  worked, 
a  boat  that  he  made,  and  some  books  are  shown  to 
the  visitor.  But  the  chief  collection  of  his  me 
morials  is  in  a  gallery  of  the  Hermitage  called  Pe 
ter  the  Great's  Gallery.  It  is  of  great  interest. 

The  Nevskoi  Prospekt  is  the  principal  street  in 
the  city  and  is  the  pride  of  every  patriotic  Russian. 
The  entire  characteristic  movement  of  St.  Pe 
tersburg  may  be  seen  on  this  highway— the 
tramways,  strings  of  carts  laden  with  goods, 
multitudinous  common  droskies,  which  look  like 
toy  carriages,  the  finer  private  droskies,  drawn  by 
splendid  trotters,  the  throngs  of  silent  foot  pas 
sengers,  civil  servants,  officers  in  long  gray  over 
coats,  women  of  the  lower  classes  wearing  short 
dresses  of  pale  green  and  gaily  embroidered 
handkerchiefs  on  their  heads,  ladies  in  Parisian 
toilets,  here  and  there  queer  old  women  who  seem 
to  have  seen  better  days  and  who  now  console 
themselves  by  smoking  cigarettes,  as  they  lounge 
in  the  sun,  street  hawkers,  who  sell  kvas  and  other 
drinks,  fruit,  and  flowers,  nursemaids  wearing  the 
national  costume  and  coiffiere,  a  sort  of  tiara  of 
blue  or  red  velvet  embroidered  with  large  pearl 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  315 

beads,  priests  in  long  flowing  black  gowns  and 
tall  brimless  hats,  sometimes  covered  with  a  veil, 
Circassians  with  their  long  coats,  the  breasts  of 
which  are  stiff  with  cartridges,  and  a  patrol  of 
Cossacks  ambling  along  on  their  little  horses,  with 
their  hay  nets  slung  from  their  saddles. 

There  is  no  other  place  in  the  city  where  such 
a  variety  of  people  and  costumes  may  be  seen  as 
on  this  street,  but  the  most  noticeable  feature  of 
a  Russian  street  is  a  vehicle  called  drosky,  a 
little  carriage  that  flies  about  in  every  direction. 
The  fare  is  cheap  and  every  lady  rides.  The 
minute  you  issue  from  your  hotel  or  stop  for  a 
second  on  the  sidewalk,  a  dozen  droskies  will  dash 
up,  the  drivers  will  offer  their  services  and  ges 
ticulate  with  their  right  hand. 

There  is-  nothing  like  it  in  any  other  country. 
It  is  a  very  low,  small  open  carriage,  having  four 
wheels.  The  hind  ones  are  not  more  than  two 
and  a  half  feet  in  diameter  and  the  forward  ones 
about  eighteen  inches.  There  is  a  raised  seat  for 
the  driver  and  another  that  will  hold  two  passen 
gers.  It  has  no  support  for  the  back  and  generally 
has  nothing  to  protect  one  from  the  weather, 
though  at  Moscow  covered  droskies  are  not  un 
common.  Over  the  wheels  are  splashboards,  which 
curve  down  and  form  a  step  only  a  few  inches 
from  the  ground. 

The  carriage  is  always  of  a  dark  color  and  the 
seat  is  covered  with  dark  cloth.  The  shafts  are 


316  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

attached  directly  to  the  front  axle  and  fastened  to 
the  collar  by  means  of  straps  wound  around  and 
around,  without  rings  or  buckles.  There  are  no 
traces.  The  harness  is  as  light  as  possible  and  is 
adorned  with  fine  chains  and  other  ornaments 
that  glitter  in  the  sun  like  gold  or  silver  spangles. 

The  coachman  is  as  peculiar  as  the  vehicle  he 
drives.  He  wears  a  low-crowned  felt  hat,  that 
narrows  dowrn  toward  the  brim,  is  curled  on  the 
sides,  and  is  curved  back  and  front,  and  a  dark  blue 
or  green  caftan,  with  long  plaited  skirts  reaching  to 
the  ground.  This  caftan  is  wrapped  around  the 
body  and  fastened  under  the  left  arm  by  hooks 
and  eyes  or  buttons. 

While  I  was  in  St.  Petersburg  I  made  a  tour  of 
the  islands,  a  great  place  of  resort.  There  are 
four  or  five  close  to  one  another  in  the  mouth  of 
the  Neva.  They  are  intersected  by  canals  and 
small  lakes  and  connected  by  bridges.  They  are 
all  perfectly  flat  and  are  laid  out  in  parks  and 
villas.  The  constant  interchange  of  land  and 
water  is  rather  bewildering.  One  does  not  know 
when  an  island  is  passed  and  another  is  reached. 
They  are  the  pride  and  delight  of  the  city. 

Several  nice  excursions  may  be  made  from  St. 
Petersburg.  The  most  interesting  one  that  I 
made  was  to  Peterhoff.  A  palace  is  there  built 
by  Peter  the  Great.  It  is  situated  on  an  eminence 
overlooking  a  green  plain  of  tree  tops.  Beyond 
are  the  waters  of  the  Gulf  of  Finland,  the  port  and 
fortification  of  Cronstadt. 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  317 

In  the  interior  are  innumerable  articles  of  vertu, 
gorgeous  tapestries,  marble,  porcelain,  and  mal 
achite,  as  well  as  a  great  many  pictures,  which 
represent  chiefly  the  naval  victories  of  Russian 
commanders.  A  fountain  called  Samson  throws 
a  jet  eighty  feet  high  in  front  of  the  palace.  A 
gigantic  bronze  figure  forces  open  the  jaws  of  a 
lion,  from  which  the  water  rushes.  On  each  side 
are  jets  which  throw  the  water  vertically  and  hor 
izontally.  The  principal  basins  are  at  the  foot  of 
the  elevation  on  which  the  palace  stands.  A 
flight  of  broad  steps  leads  from  them  to  the  palace. 
Ranges  of  marble  slabs,  over  which  the  water 
pours,  are  on  both  sides.  These  slabs  are  arranged 
so  as  to  allow  lamps  to  be  placed  behind  the  water. 
I  counted  three  hundred  jets  of  water  flowing  at 
one  time.  The  splendor  of  these  water  works  is 
not  equaled  anywhere  except  at  Versailles,  near 
Paris. 

I  have  not  told  of  all  the  magnificence  which  is 
to  be  seen  in  St.  Petersburg.  It  will  compare  with 
any  other  city  in  Europe  and  surpass  most  of  them. 
•  The  northern  twilight  in  summer  lasts  until 
nearly  midnight.  The  sun  disappears,  the  red 
sunset  glow  fades,  yet  does  not  quite  vanish. 

The  Greek  calendar  is  in  use  all  over  Russia, 
which  is  twelve  days  behind  the  Latin,  that  is 
used  in  all  other  parts  of  Europe  and  America. 

The  next  place  of  interest  that  I  visited  was 
Moscow.  I  traveled  by  rail  and  found  the  coun- 


318  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

try  along  the  route  very  monotonous.  Hour  after 
hour  one  sees  broad  plains,  which  extend  far  into 
the  distance,  with  occasionally  a  forest  of  pine  and 
silver  birch,  and  at  very  rare  intervals  a  village 
composed  of  a  score  of  cottages  built  of  logs  and 
surrounded  by  poorly  tilled  fields.  The  fields  are 
cultivated  by  swarms  of  peasant  women,  dressed 
in  red  shirts  and  wearing  bright  handkerchiefs 
on  their  heads.  It  is  said  that  there  is  not  a 
mountain  in  this  part  of  Russia.  The  highest 
land  between  the  Baltic  and  the  Black  Seas  is 
only  one  thousand  three  hundred  and  twenty- 
eight  feet  above  the  sea. 

The  first  view  as  one  approaches  Moscow  pro 
duces  an  impression  never  to  be  forgotten.  The 
numberless  steeple  points,  star-spangled  belfries, 
airy  turrets,  strangely  shaped  towers  of  palaces 
and  of  old  convents,  attract  the  eye,  while  the 
edifices  themselves  remain  concealed.  The  city, 
formerly  the  capital  of  the  Russian  Empire,  has 
a  population  of  about  eight  hundred  thousand. 
It  is  situated  on  the  banks  of  the  Moskva  River, 
which  contributes  its  water,  by  the  Channel  of 
Oka,  to  the  great  Volga. 

It  was  founded  in  1147  and  was  one  of  the  most 
irregular  cities  in  the  world,  but  it  was  all  de 
stroyed  except  the  Kremlin  by  the  conflagration 
of  1812.  The  Kremlin  suffered  severely  after 
wards  from  the  mines  that  w^ere  sprung  under  its 
wralls  by  order  of  Napoleon,  on  its  evacuation  by 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  319 

the  French.  But  it  has  been  completely  restored, 
and  Moscow  has  risen  from  her  ashes  larger  and 
more  beautiful  than  before. 

The  Kremlin  stands  in  the  heart  of  the  city. 
Its  inclosure  is  two  miles  in  circuit.  Most  of  the 
interesting  as  well  as  the  historical  spectacles  of 
Moscow  are  to  be  seen  within  its  walls.  It  is  the 
treasury  of  nearly  all  that  is  dear  to  the  Russian 
heart.  It  is  crowded  with  palaces,  churches,  mon 
asteries,  arsenals,  museums,  and  other  buildings 
of  almost  every  imaginable  kind.  The  Tartar 
style  of  architecture,  with  gilded  domes  and  cupo 
las,  generally  predominates.  There  are  round, 
square,  and  pointed  roofed  towers,  belfries,  turrets, 
spires,  sentry  boxes,  fixed  upon  minarets,  domes, 
walls  pierced  with  loopholes,  ramparts,  fortifica 
tions  of  every  species,  and  steeples  of  every  height, 
style,  and  color.  The  aggregate  forms  a  most 
agreeable  picture  when  seen  from  the  distance. 

The  Kremlin  is  entered  by  five  gates.  The 
most  important  two  are  the  Redeemer's  and  the 
St.  Nicholas'.  Each  of  these  has  a  tradition.  A 
picture  of  the  Saviour  has  been  hung  over  the 
first  since  the  foundation  of  the  city.  It  is  an 
object  of  the  greatest  reverence  to  every  Russian, 
and  neither  the  emperor  nor  the  humblest  peas 
ant  would  dare  to  pass  under  it  without  removing 
his  hat.  The  outriders  of  splendid  equipages,  the 
bearers  of  dispatches  who  rush  through  on  mat 
ters  of  life  or  death,  all  remove  their  hats  and 


320  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

hold  them  until  they  pass  through  to  the  other 
side,  and  visitors  must  do  the  same  else  they  will 
be  speedily  reminded  of  their  mistake. 

Tradition  says  that  when  the  French  army  was 
there  in  1812,  they  tried  to  remove  the  picture, 
thinking  the  frame  was  of  solid  gold;  but  every 
ladder  they  placed  against  the  wall  fell  broken  in 
two.  Next  an  attempt  was  made  to  batter  the 
wall  and  picture  with  cannon,  but  the  powder 
would  not  ignite.  After  that  fires  were  built 
under  the  gun,  which  caused  it  to  burst  backward 
into  a  thousand  pieces  and  to  wound  the  artillery 
men;  still  the  picture  was  unharmed. 

Near  the  St.  Nicholas,  Napoleon's  powder  train 
exploded  too ;  although  many  of  the  surrounding 
buildings  were  completely  destroyed  and  the  tower 
was  split  up  to  the  picture  of  the  saint,  neither 
the  glass  that  covered  it  nor  the  lamp  that  hung 
before  it  was  injured  in  the  least. 

The  palace  within  the  Kremlin  is  built  on  the 
site  of  the  old  Tartar  palace,  and  presents  an  odd 
mixture  of  the  styles  of  architecture  of  the  differ 
ent  periods.  The  interior,  however,  is  magnificent. 
It  is  as  sumptuous  as  Russian  architects,  decora 
tors,  and  upholsterers  could  make  it. 

The  treasury  is  one  of  the  most  wonderful  mu 
seums  in  the  world.  It  is  the  depository  of  the 
venerated  historical  objects  which  are  hereditary 
in  the  imperial  families.  The  collection  con 
sists  of  regalia,  arms,  armor,  carriages,  costumes, 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  321 

thrones,  crowns,  enamels,  scepters,  gold  and  silver 
ware,  precious  stones,  jewelry,  and  other  objects 
of  art,  the  value  of  which  would  be  difficult  to 
estimate. 

Near  this  palace  stands  the  tower  of  Ivan  Veliki, 
three  hundred  and  twenty  feet  in  height.  It  is 
divided  into  five  stories  and  has  thirty-four  bells 
of  various  sizes,  the  largest  weighing  sixty-four 
tons. 

Close  to  the  base  of  the  tower,  on  a  pedestal  of 
granite,  stands  the  monarch  of  all  bells.  It  was 
cast  in  1730,  during  the  reign  of  Empress  Anne. 
The  tower  in  which  it  hung  was  burned  seven 
years  later.  When  it  fell  a  piece  was  broken  from 
its  side.  The  bell  remained  buried  until  1836, 
when  it  was  placed  in  its  present  position  with 
the  fragment  beside  it.  This  bell  is  twenty-six 
feet  high,  sixty-eight  feet  in  circumference,  two 
feet  thick,  and  weighs  two  hundred  tons. 

The  arsenal  is  very  extensive  and  always  has 
weapons  sufficient  to  arm  one  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  men.  The  cannon  taken  from  the  dif 
ferent  European  powers  are  arranged  in  rows 
along  the  walls  outside  of  this  building.  They 
amount  to  eight  hundred  and  seventy-five  pieces. 
One  cannon  in  a  corner  of  the  arsenal  has  never 
been  fired.  It  is  called  the  King  of  Guns  and 
weighs  fort}r  tons. 

Moscow  is  said  to  contain   one   thousand   six 
hundred  churches,  including  shrines  and  chapels. 
21 


322  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

The  churches  are  all  very  grand,  being  beauti 
fully  decorated  inside  and  out,  but  I  will  attempt 
to  describe  only  a  few  of  them. 

Outside  of  the  Kremlin  walls  stands  the  Cathe 
dral  of  St.  Basil,  the  Beautiful.  Russian  churches 
are  much  alike,  but  this  differs  from  all  the  others 
that  I  have  seen.  It  has  at  least  twenty  domes 
and  towers,  which  are  not  only  of  different  shapes 
and  sizes,  but  they  are  gilded  and  painted  in  all 
possible  varieties  of  color.  There  is  no  main 
chapel.  Each  dome  has  a  separate  place  of  wor 
ship,  where  services  may  be  carried  on  without 
disturbing  the  worshiper  in  any  other.  It  was 
erected  by  John  the  Terrible.  It  is  said  that  he 
was  well  pleased  with  the  skill  of  the  Italian 
architect,  and,  after  eulogizing  his  work,  ordered 
that  his  eyes  be  put  out,  to  prevent  him  from 
planning  another. 

Within  the  Kremlin  is  the  Cathedral  of  the 
Assumption,  one  of  the  most  interesting  of  Rus 
sia's  Christian  monuments.  All  the  emperors 
have  been  crowned  in  this  church.  The  corona 
tion  is  said  to  be  a  grand  sight.  Among  the 
numerous  relics  and  objects  of  interest  behind  the 
altar  screen  is  a  model  in  gold  of  Mt.  Sinai.  A 
golden  coffin  containing  the  host  is  within,  and 
on  the  lid  is  an  engraving  of  Moses  standing  on 
the  top  of  the  mountain,  bearing  in  his  hands  the 
tablets  of  the  law.  There  is  an  immense  Bible 
which  was  presented  to  the  cathedral  by  the 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  323 

mother  of  Peter  the  Great.  The  binding  is  cov 
ered  with  emeralds  and  other  precious  stones, 
which  cost  more  than  a  million  of  dollars.  There 
are  five  rows  of  pictures  on  the  walls,  representing 
saints  and  the  Virgin.  They  are  bedecked  with 
breastplates,  necklaces,  and  bracelets,  literally 
ablaze  with  diamonds,  emeralds,  amethysts,  pearls, 
sapphires,  turquoise,  and  rubies.  Add  to  this  the 
magnificence  of  the  silver  and  vermilion  lusters 
hanging  from  the  ceiling,  the  profusion  of  burn 
ing  tapers  and  lamps,  suspended  from  gilt  brack 
ets  glimmering  before  every  holy  image,  and  cast 
ing  reflections  over  the  multitude  of  militant 
archangels,  and  the  brilliancy  of  the  interior  of 
this  cathedral  passes  all  conception. 

The  cathedral  of  the  Archangel  Michael  is 
another  grand  church.  It  is  noted  for  being  the 
last  resting  place  of  all  the  czars,  to  the  time  of 
Peter  the  Great.  The  interior  is  adorned  with 
gold  and  precious  stones.  The  vestments  are 
gorgeous  and  costly.  The  gospels  are  finely  il 
luminated,  and  have  an  enameled  gold  cover 
studded  with  precious  stones.  There  is  a  cross 
here  having  remarkably  large-sized  pearls,  which 
belonged  to  John  the  Terrible.  Many  of  the 
treasures  in  these  churches  are  exhibited  only  to 
male  visitors. 

The  Cathedral  of  the  Annunciation  is  beauti 
fully  decorated.  The  floor  is  paved  with  agate, 
jasper,  and  carnelian.  The  frescoes  are  most  curi- 


324  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

ous ;  they  represent  Greek  philosophers,  as  heralds 
of  Christ's  coming.  The  former  czars  were  bap 
tized  and  married  in  this  church.  It  is  rich  in 
saintly  relics,  and  has  among  its  objects  of  inter 
est  a  painting  of  the  meeting  of  the  blessed  and 
condemned  spirits.  It  was  used  by  the  French 
as  a  stable  for  their  horses  in  1812. 

The  great  riding  school  of  Moscow  is  celebrated 
as  being  the  largest  room  in  the  world,  whose 
roof  is  unsupported  by  pillar  or  prop.  Two  regi 
ments  of  cavalry  are  able  to  go  through  all  their 
maneuvers  and  evolutions  in  this  vast  room. 
The  boulevards  around  the  Kremlin  are  very 
wide;  they  are  planted  with  shade  trees,  and  have 
numerous  benches.  In  the  suburbs  trees,  gar 
dens,  and  parks  abound. 

During  my  visit  at  Moscow  I  made  an  excur 
sion  to  the  Sparrow  Hills,  a  slight  eminence  a  few 
miles  from  the  city,  and  the  first  point  from  which 
Napoleon  with  his  army  saw  Moscow.  The  en 
tire  ridge  is  laid  out  in  gardens,  which  contain 
booths,  restaurants,  cafes,  and  a  pretty  little  sum 
mer  theater.  It  was  here  that  Napoleon,  in  sight 
of  the  blazing  city,  dictated  the  intelligence  of  the 
conflagration  to  France.  This  is  a  favorite  sum 
mer  evening  resort  for  the  Moscow  people. 

The  whole  city  outside  of  the  Kremlin  presents 
such  a  vast  empty  aspect  that  it  seems  to  have  been 
built  in  expectation  of  some  future  population 
rather  than  to  meet  the  present  wants;  but  the  many 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  325 

wooden  buildings  and  the  frequency  of  fires  offer 
an  explanation  for  the  immensely  wide  streets, 
and  the  isolation  of  the  houses.  By  this  means  the 
spreading  of  fire  is  limited.  The  city  is  irregu 
larly  built.  Churches  and  other  public  build 
ings  are  mingled  confusedly  with  private  dwell 
ings,  large  and  small,  thereby  making  the  place 
more  attractive.  There  are  many  indulations  in 
the  streets,  which  form  fine  points  of  view. 

Warsaw  was  the  next  place  I  visited.  It  was 
the  capital  of  Poland  until  that  country  was 
united  to  Russia.  It  is  situated  on  both  sides  of 
the  Vistula  River,  which  is  spanned  by  a  fine  iron 
bridge.  This  bridge,  a  beautiful  park,  a  few  in 
teresting  streets,  and  some  large  public  buildings, 
constitute  all  there  is  to  be  seen  in  Warsaw. 

After  having  spent  a  few  days  in  Warsaw,  I 
went  to  Vienna.  This  unattractive  route  has  no 
fine  forest,  pretty  cottages,  lakes,  or  waterfalls  to 
please  the  traveler. 

Vienna,  the  capital  of  Austria,  is  one  of  the 
most  charming  cities  in  Europe.  In  fact,  no  Eu 
ropean  city  except  Paris  has  more  parks  or  finer 
public  buildings,  including  cathedrals  and  palaces. 
I  visited  this  city  in  1883.  I  have  described  it  in 
a  previous  chapter,  so  will  pass  on  to  Buda  Pesth, 
the  capital  of  Hungary,  occupying  a  pleasant  site 
on  the  Danube,  one  hundred  and  fifteen  miles 
below  Vienna.  The  name  is  derived  from  the 
united  towns  of  Pesth  and  Buda,  they  being  situ 
ated  one  upon  each  side  of  the  river. 


326  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

Buda,  the  older  part,  was  an  ancient  Roman 
colony.  Pesth,  a  modern  city,  has  wide  streets, 
pleasant  promenades,  and  magnificent  edifices. 
There  is  a  beautiful  suspension  bridge  over  the 
Danube.  The  two  cities  are  connected  by  a  good 
iron  bridge.  There  are  also  numbers  of  ferry 
boats  which  ply  between  the  river  banks  along 
the  entire  extension  of  the  city 

Buda  is  built  on  both  sides  of  a  bluff,  which  is 
crowned  with  a  small  fort.  From  this  point  is 
spread  a  magnificent  panorama.  To  the  right  is 
the  hill  on  which  stands  the  ancient  fortress  of 
Buda;  to  the  front  is  the  majestic  royal  castle,  with 
gardens  and  terraces  spreading  down  the  declivity 
of  the  hill  almost  to  the  water's  edge.  In  the 
background  are  the  vine-clad  mountains  of  Buda, 
which  produce  most  delicate  wines.  By  crossing 
the  suspension  bridge  one  reaches  an  excellent 
tunnel  that  leads  through  this  hill.  A  few  steps 
bring  one  to  the  little  station  of  the  wire  rope 
railway,  which  transports  one  up  to  the  ancient 
fortress. 

There  is  a  delightful  island  in  the  middle  of 
the  Danube,  called  Margaret  Island.  It  comprises 
one  hundred  and  twenty -two  acres  of  land  near 
the  city,  and  is  the  property  of  Archduke  Joseph. 
It  is  laid  out  in  gardens  that  contain  groups  of 
stately  trees,  fragrant  flower  beds,  and  smooth, 
green  lawns.  It  has  also  many  spacious  build 
ings,  bath  houses,  restaurants,  dance  halls,  and 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  327 

music  stands,  where  gypsy  "bands  perform  two  or 
three  times  a  week.  The  small  ruins  of  an  ancient 
nunnery  and  a  garden  of  remarkable  roses  stand 
in  the  center  of  the  island.  There  are  springs  of 
hot  water,  too,  which  afford  a  cure,  or  at  least  a 
mitigation,  to  suffering  humanity.  There  are  also 
hot  water  springs  all  along  the  bank  of  the  Dan 
ube  near  Buda.  The  famous  bitter-water  springs 
are  here,  the  products  of  which  are  exported  over 
the  whole  globe.  If  these  springs  were  properly 
managed,  Buda  Pesth  could  become  a  favorite 
watering  place.  . 

On  leaving  the  above  city  I  returned  to  Vienna 
and  wended  my  way  to  Zurich,  in  Switzerland. 
On  this  route  one  passes  through  the  Tyrol,  where 
the  scenery  becomes  more  varied  as  the  road 
winds  in  sharp  curves  through  deep  defiles,  over 
hung  by  tremendous  cliffs_,  mounts  slowly  to 
dizzy  heights,  creeps  along  the  edge  of  precipices, 
through  dense  forests,  across  beautiful  natural 
parks,  and  along  the  banks  of  swiftly  running 
mountain  streams.  The  hills  and  mountains  are 
covered  with  fir  trees,  relieved  by  villages  and  fine 
old  castles.  Of  the  endless  variety  of  natural 
beauty  on  this  route  my  pen  fails  me  in  giving 
a  picture;  I  can  only  assure  the  lover  of  nature 
that  there  could  be  no  more  delightful  scenes  of 
lakes,  mountains,  forests,  streams,  and  moorlands. 
From  the  summit  the  descent  is  quite  steep,  and 
the  road  winds  through  woodland  scenery  and  ex- 


LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

quisite  cascades,  until  the  shore  of  Lake  Zurich  is 
reached.  From  this  point  the  road  leads  along 
the  lake  shore  to  the  city. 

Zurich  is  romantically  situated  at  the  base  of 
the  Alps,  at  the  place  where  the  Limmat  River 
issues  from  the  lake  that  lies  at  the  foot  of  the 
long  line  of  snowy  Alps.  It  is  embedded  between 
ranges  of  hills,  whose  slopes  are  covered  with  vine 
yards,  orchards,  and  groups  of  houses,  in  pleas 
ing  alternation,  while  the  heights  are  crowned 
with  dusky  forests  of  pine. 

Thousands  upon  thousands  of  tourists  have  ad 
mired  the  beauties  of  this  lake,  and  nothing  can 
be  more  delightful  than  to  glide  swiftly  over  the 
smooth  waters  in  a  steamboat,  to  the  upper  end 
of  the  lake,  past  the  vine-clad  hills  and  the  trim 
villages  that  line  its  banks. 

Zurich,  with  its  numerous  delightful  promenades, 
pleased  me  very  much.  The  Quay  promenade, 
bordering  the  lake,  is  connected  by  a  magnificent 
bridge,  from  which  there  is  a  splendid  view  of  the 
Alpine  chains.  The  valley  of  the  Limmat,  near 
the  city,  is  not  wide,  and  the  heights  which  limit  it 
are  studded  with  numerous  houses  and  villas, 
which  are  interspersed  in  a  very  pleasing  manner 
with  gardens,  orchards,  and  vineyards. 

From  Zurich  I  went  to  Paris,  en  route  for  Havre, 
where  I  embarked  on  the  steamship  Normandie, 
bound  for  New  York.  The  voyage  across  the 
Atlantic  was  not  attended  with  any  incident 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  329 

worthy  of  note.  The  weather,  during  the  entire 
journey,  was  fine.  There  was  a  large  number  of 
passengers,  among  whom  were  some  excellent 
musicians  who  entertained  us  in  the  social  hall 
every  evening. 

On  my  arrival  at  New  York  I  found  the  custom 
authorities  not  a  whit  less  particular  in  their  ex 
amination  of  baggage  than  those  in  other  countries. 
I  shall  not  undertake  a  description  of  the  places  I 
visited  in  the  United  States.  The  summer  resorts 
are  numerous,  and  many  of  them  are  delightful. 
The  mountains,  hills,  valleys,  glens,  lakes,  and 
rivers  of  the  United  States  present  scenes  of 
beauty  and  grandeur  which  no  region  in  Europe 
can  surpass,  and  which  fully  compensate  for  the 
lack  of  picture  galleries  and  fine  churches. 

After  a  short  stay  in  New  York  I  paid  a  visit 
to  my  relatives  in  the  New  England  States.  I 
then  returned  to  New  York  en  route  for  Chicago, 
where  I  remained  two  weeks  with  friends  who 
pointed  out  to  me  all  the  attractions  of  the  Garden 
City  of  the  West. 

This  city  was  nearly  swept  from  the  earth's 
surface  by  fire  in  1871.  Property  was  destroyed 
to  the  value  of  nearly  three  hundred  million  dol 
lars;  but,  like  Moscow,  it  has  risen  from  its  ashes 
larger  and  more  beautiful  than  before.  It  has 
mammoth  hotels,  spacious  stores,  fine  ecclesiasti 
cal  edifices,  other  large  public  buildings,  and  beau 
tiful  residences,  while  iron  foundries,  machine 


330  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

shops,  steam  sawmills,  planing  mills,  flour  mills, 
and  huge  elevators  are  everywhere  to  be  seen.  Its 
market  for  grain,  beef,  and  pork  is  the  largest  in 
the  world.  The  parks  are  numerous  and  the 
drives  delightful. 

When  I  had  completed  my  visit,  I  journeyed  on 
to  the  Twin  Cities,  St.  Paul  and  Minneapolis, 
located  on  the  Upper  Mississippi,  two  thousand 
and  sixty-five  miles  above  its  mouth.  They  are 
ten  miles  apart  from  center  to  center.  Their 
combined  population  is  nearly  three  hundred 
thousand,  and  although  they  are  of  considerable 
commercial  importance,  they  contain  nothing  of 
interest  to  detain  a  traveler. 

My  next  stopping  place  was  Winnipeg,  the  capi 
tal  of  the  Province  of  Manitoba.  It  is  at  the  junc 
tion  of  the  Red  and  Assiniboine  Rivers.  It  is  well 
built  and  has  a  population  of  thirty  thousand. 
For  many  years  it  has  been  the  chief  post  of  the 
Hudson  Bay  Company. 

The  next  place  of  interest  to  me  was  Vancouver. 
Leaving  Winnipeg  I  traveled  by  the  Canadian 
Pacific  through  a  broad  plain  checkered  with 
fields  of  grain  and  dotted  with  farmhouses.  We 
passed  station  after  station,  resembling  each  other 
except  in  the  size  of  the  villages  surrounding 
them.  These  generally  have  a  church,  a  hotel, 
and  a  grain  elevator. 

After  a  ride  of  nearly  a  thousand  miles  over 
this  almost  level  country,  we  reached  the  foothills 


JAMES    BATCHELDER.  331 

of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  which  rise  in  successive 
tiers  to  the  snowy  ranges  behind  them.  As  we 
proceeded,  the  snowy  mountains  seemed  to  rise 
abruptly  in  great  masses,  streaked  and  capped 
with  snow  and  ice.  Next  the  train  passed  between 
two  almost  vertical  walls  of  dizzy  height.  This 
is  the  gap  by  which  the  Rocky  Mountains  are 
entered. 

In  a  few  hours  we  reached  Banff,  the  station  for 
Rocky  Mountain  Park  and  Hot  Springs,  a  medic 
inal  watering  place  and  pleasure  resort.  This 
park  is  a  national  reservation,  twenty-six  miles 
long  and  ten  wide,  embracing  parts  of  the  valleys 
of  the  Bow,  Spray,  and  Cascade  Rivers,  with 
Devil's  Lake  and  several  grand  mountain  ranges. 
From  this  point  to  the  Pacific  Coast  the  scenery 
is  magnificent.  Three  great  mountain  ranges 
must  be  crossed,  the  Selkirk,  the  Gold  Range,  and 
the  Cascade  Range.  The  Selkirk  Range  forms 
the  backbone  of  the  country,  rising  in  this  part 
higher  than  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

At  Rogers'  Pass  is  a  glacier  whose  top  measures 
a  mile  in  width.  Several  currents  flow  from  under 
neath  the  base  of  this  mass  of  ice  and  unite  in  a 
deep  gorge,  in  which  Glacier  Hotel  is  situated. 
Magnificent  mountain  views  are  to  be  obtained 
from  this  spot.  The  railroad  avails  itself  of  this 
ravine  and  also  of  another  that  comes  into  it  at 
right  angles  a  short  distance  below,  to  get  down 
out  of  the  pass.  The  line,  by  repeated  loops  and 


332  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

double  loops,  runs  for  six  miles,  descends  six  hun 
dred  feet,  and  accomplishes  just  two  miles  of  actual 
distance.  Here  are  six  almost  parallel  lines  in 
full  view,  each  at  a  lower  stage;  they  are  the  loops 
of  the  Canadian  Pacific.  Further  on  the  steep 
banks  of  the  deep  winding  canons  of  the  Thomp 
son  and  Fraser  Rivers  have  called  for  great  engi 
neering  skill,  and  give,  for  hundreds  of  miles,  a 
succession  of  grand  scenes.  From  Boston  Bar, 
the  principal  canon  of  the  Fraser,  to  Yale,  the 
scenery  is  intensely  interesting.  The  great  river, 
forced  between  vertical  walls  of  rock,  roars  and 
foams  madly.  Down  this  vast  chasm  go  the  rail 
way  and  river  together.  The  former  is  cut  into 
the  cliff  two  hundred  feet  above  it.  It  twists  and 
turns  in  every  direction  and  plunges  at  intervals 
of  a  minute  or  two  through  projecting  angles  of 
rock,  which  seem  to  close  the  way. 

As  the  valley  widens,  farms  and  orchards  be 
come  frequent,  and,  after  passing  through  the  forest 
of  mammoth  trees,  we  find  ourselves  on  the  tide 
waters  of  the  Pacific.  Shortly  after  this  the  train 
rolls  into  the  station  at  Vancouver,  the  western 
terminus  of  the  Canadian  Pacific  Railway. 

The  city  of  Vancouver  is  situated  on  a  penin 
sula,  which  slopes  from  the  water  on  either  side 
to  an  elevation  of  nearly  two  hundred  feet.  The 
city  was  incorporated  in  1886,  at  which  time  it 
had  a  population  of  only  six  hundred.  It  has 
about  twenty  thousand  nowr.  The  present  site  of 


JAMES    BATCHELDER. 

the  city  was  at  that  time  a  dense  wilderness  of 
huge  firs;  where  they  stood  are  massive  blocks  of 
brick  and  stone. 

The  city  is  well  provided  with  parks,  the  largest 
of  which  is  Stanley  Park,  of  nearly  one  thousand 
acres.  A  beautiful  driveway  has  been  constructed 
around  it,  and  from  some  of  the  elevations  on  this 
road  an  extensive  view  is  obtained  of  the  surround 
ing  country  and  of  the  numerous  islands  in  the 
Gulf  of  Georgia.  There  are  also  several  other  at 
tractive  parks. 

After  having  visited  the  places  of  interest  in 
Vancouver,  I  went  by  steamer  to  Tacoma,  and 
thence  by  rail  to  Portland,  Oregon.  But  all  the 
pleasures  of  the  trip  came  to  an  end  at  this  place. 
Up  to  this  time  I  had  had  no  hardships  to  endure, 
no  difficulties  to  overcome,  no  accidents  or  annoy 
ances  of  any  kind.  So  far  the  trip  had  been 
made  with  a  great  deal  of  pleasure  and  comfort, 
which  will  never  be  forgotten. 

I  left  Portland  at  six  o'clock  in  the  evening  of 
the  12th  of  November  for  San  Francisco.  After 
a  run  of  nearly  two  hours,  when  crossing  a  long 
trestle  bridge  over  what  is  known  as  Lake  Labish, 
fifty  miles  south  of  Portland,  the  train  and  trestle 
went  down  together,  dropping  twenty  feet.  The 
crash  was  tremendous.  The  engine  was  over 
turned  and  half  buried  in  the  mud.  The  tender 
overturned  behind  it,  and  the  cars  were  broken 
and  twisted  out  of  shape.  The  number  killed  at 


334  LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF 

the  time  was  only  three,  but  since  then  death  has 
claimed  two  more.  More  than  a  hundred  were 
injured,  some  very  seriously;  in  fact,  almost  every 
one  in  the  train  was  more  or  less  injured. 

After  a  stay  of  three  weeks  I  had  so  far  recov 
ered  as  to  be  able  to  proceed  on  my  way  to  San 
Francisco,  thus  completing  my  second  trip  around 
the  world. 

There  is  no  course  of  life  that  affords  more  ad 
vantages  than  that  of  travel,  especially  in  foreign 
countries.  It  gives  a  better  education  than  can 
be  acquired  from  books;  and  we  learn  to  appre 
ciate  our  native  land,  our  own  home,  for  having 
been  away.  I  have  always  returned  with  my  love 
for  my  own  country  deepened  and  my  mind 
broadened.  I  travel  alone  and  find  it  the  most 
independent  way.  One  can  always  find  persons 
with  whom  to  talk,  and  often  someone  who  will 
accompany  him  when  sight-seeing  in  large  cities. 
This  over  they  part  and  perhaps  never  meet  again. 
I  have  often  met  persons  who  had  started  in  com 
pany  with  others,  but  could  not  agree  and  had 
parted,  each  going  by  himself. 

In  order  to  enjoy  traveling  one  should  have  a 
contented  spirit,  that  adapts  itself  easily  to  cir 
cumstances  and  treats  temporary  inconveniences 
with  good-humored  contempt.  One  should  not 
be  dependent  on  little  comforts  and  indulgences, 
but  manage  to  be  happy  in  their  absence. 

During  my  travels  I  have  seldom  taken  a  letter 


JAMES    BATCHELDER. 


335 


of  introduction,  nor  do  I  care  for  one.  I  depend 
much  upon  accidental  acquaintances,  and  I  have 
always  found  that  being  kind  and  affable  to  those 
whom  I  met,  paying  proper  respect  to  their  man 
ners  and  customs,  and  feeling  at  home  among 
them,  was  a  sure  method  of  enabling  me  to  enjoy 
myself  and  to  find  comforts  as  sweet  as  those  I 
had  been  accustomed  to  in  my  native  land. 

And  now  my  roving  disposition  has  been  well 
satisfied.  There  are  few  places  visited  by  travel 
ers  that  I  have  not  seen.  During  my  wanderings 
I  have  come  in  contact  with  the  rich,  the  poor, 
the  cultivated,  and  the  rough;  but  never  once,  in 
any  part  of  the  world,  did  I  experience  the  slight 
est  discourtesy  or  lack  of  kindness.  Often  perfect 
strangers  have  taken  trouble  and  even  put  them 
selves  out  to  do  me  a  favor;  and  for  this  kindness 
and  hospitality,  that  was  everywhere  ex-tended  to 
me,  from  all  with  whom  it  has  been  my  fortune 
to  come  in  contact,  I  have  the  most  grateful  recol 
lection. 


STAMPED 


1933 


LB  2l-50w-l,'3j 


U.C.BERKELEY  LIBRARIES 


100144 


